Saint John Mark Cathedral is the seat of the Maronite Eparchy of Byblos, a Romanesque church built by the Crusaders in 1115, originally as the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist. Dedicated to Saint John Mark, Byblos's patron and traditionally regarded as the founder of its first Christian community, it fell into disrepair through repeated earthquakes until 1764, when Prince Yusuf Shihab donated the site to the Lebanese Maronite Order, who restored and reopened it in 1776. Shelling during the 1840 Oriental Crisis damaged it once more, but it was repaired and remains open today. Byblos wraps its ancient port, Crusader castle, and old souk around this near-thousand-year-old cathedral.