Our Lady of the Fortress (Saydet el Hosn)

Our Lady of the Fortress (Saydet el Hosn) crowns the highest peak above Ehden, where a sanctuary dedicated to the Virgin Mary has stood for centuries. The Mamluks destroyed the fortress and church in 1283, after which the people of Ehden rebuilt the sanctuary using stones from the ancient fortress. It was restored again following the 1705 earthquake and underwent further renovation in 1836 after earlier destruction described by the French writer Alphonse de Lamartine during his visit to the region in 1833. Beside the historic chapel stands a modern circular church, inaugurated in 1989 and crowned by a large white statue of the Virgin with outstretched arms. Pilgrims gather each year on September 8 for the Nativity of the Virgin Mary and on September 14 for the Feast of the Holy Cross, while the summit offers sweeping views across Akkar, Tripoli, and the Mediterranean Sea.