(Roman Shrine 67 km)

    From Chtaura, drive in the direction of the Masnaa border post, turning at the sign for Manara - a 5.5-kilometer drive. At Manara (formerly called Hammara) you take a rough road (four-wheel drive
vehicles) to the temple, set on a hillside. The drive takes about fifteen minutes, or you can walk the distance in forty-five minutes. Ask for directions in the town. Locally known as "Kasr al-Wadi," this is the site of a Roman shrine upon which a Christian church was later constructed. The shrine, square in shape, consisted of an altar surrounded by sixteen pillars and set inside a larger enclosure. In style there is an apparent similarity with the temple of Mashnaqa above Byblos.
    When the church was built, the Greek dedicatory inscription to Jupiter was reused as an architrave and a Maltese-like cross was added. Note that the columns in the church (which has been reconstructed) are thicker in the center than at the two ends. This device, used by classical builders  to make columns appear straight, here fails in its purpose, partly because the columns are unusually short and squat.
VISIT OTHER CITIES
(BEIRUT - BYBLOS - JEITA GROTTO - TRIPOLI - SIDON  - ZAHLÉ)
(AANJAR - THE CEDARS - TYRE - BAALBECK)

EGYPT - SYRIA - JORDAN
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