Our Lady of Lebanon

The Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa is one of Lebanon's most visited pilgrimage sites, welcoming Christians and visitors from across the country. Its iconic white-painted bronze statue of the Virgin, 8.5 meters tall and weighing 15 tons, was cast in Lyon, France, and inaugurated in 1908 by Maronite Patriarch Elias Hoyek to mark the 50th anniversary of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. Standing on a cedar-inspired stone pedestal with a small chapel at its base, the statue overlooks Jounieh Bay. Beside it stands the separate Basilica of Our Lady of Lebanon, a modern structure designed by Pierre El Khoury and completed in the 1990s. Visitors reach the hilltop by road or cable car from Jounieh, and the shrine has welcomed popes including John Paul II in 1997 and Benedict XVI in 2012, with major celebrations held each May and on the Feast of the Assumption on August 15th.