Church of Our Lady of Unexpected Joy

The Church of Our Lady of Unexpected Joy is a Greek Orthodox church in Zahle's Dhour al-Alb quarter, built in Russian architectural style as a personal project of Metropolitan Niphon Saikali, the Antiochian Patriarchate's longtime representative in Moscow. Patriarch John X laid its cornerstone in September 2019; construction, funded with Russian Orthodox support, was delayed by Lebanon's economic crisis and completed in 2024. Its gilded iconostasis, carved in Russia, depicts Christ, the Virgin, Saint Maron, and Saint Sergius of Radonezh. Seven Antiochian and Russian hierarchs, including Patriarch John X and Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, consecrated the church on May 18, 2025. Zahle, the "Bride of the Beqaa," now carries this golden-domed church on its skyline beside the towering statue of Our Lady of Zahle.