Saint Louis Cathedral of the Capuchin Fathers

Saint Louis Cathedral of the Capuchin Fathers stands on the Serail Hill's northern slope beside Bab Idriss, one of Beirut's seven historic gates. Capuchin missionaries first reached Beirut in 1628, worshipping at the old Saint George Maronite church until building their own in 1730; the current cathedral, designed by French architect Edmond Duthoit in a Romanesque-Byzantine style, was built between 1864 and 1868 and long known as "Saint Louis des Français." Its towering bell tower was added in the 1950s. Bombarded, looted, and burned during the civil war beginning in 1975, it was the first religious structure rebuilt in downtown Beirut, reopening in 2000. Dedicated to King Louis IX of France, it serves as the cathedral for the Latin Catholic community and is managed by the Capuchin Vice Province of the Middle East.