Maghdouché
The name, Maghdouché, originates from the Syriac word, which means "crop
collectors." It is also derived from the Syriac word Kidsh and its
derivatives (Kadisho, Kadishat, Makdosho). In Hebrew, it means "holy" or
"saintly." According to Christian belief, when Jesus came to Sidon, the
Virgin Mary who accompanied him, waited for him at the top of the hill
where Maghdouché is located today. She spent the night in a cave that
came to be known as Mantara, or the "Awaiting." Emperor Constantine the
Great responded to St. Hélène's request and transformed the cave into a
sanctuary for the Virgin. He erected a tower in honor of the Virgin. The
tower collapsed during the earthquake of 550. Later, King Louis IX
erected a watching tower in the same location. The Mantara cave was once
again discovered accidentally by a shepherd in 1726. An icon of the
Virgin was also discovered, and it was of Byzantine style, dating back
to the 7th or to the 8th century. Since then, the cave has been
transformed into a place of pilgrimage for all the Lebanese confessions.
In 1860, the Greek Catholic Church became the owner, and transformed the
cave into a sanctuary in 1880.
At the beginning of the sixties, under the auspices of Mgr Basile Khoury,
renowned architect Varoujan Zaven designed and executed a beautiful
hexagonal chapel topped by a 36-meter tower in a conical shape to
support an 8 and a half meter one-piece bronze statue of the Virgin Mary
holding Jesus in her arms, of his own design as well, realized by
Italian artist Pierrotti in Pietra Santa. The design and supervision of
the project were both a donation on behalf of the architect. Our Lady of
Mantara is considered the protectress of children, and many baptisms are
celebrated at the sanctuary.
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