Batroun Villages

A town in mid-Batroun region, 14 km away from the City. Its altitude is 450 m. One can get to it from Batroun via Ijdabra, Bejdarfel and the valley of Kour. One can find at Kfarhay the Monastery of St-John-Maron (Deir Mar Youhanna-Maroun), and the children's village SOS (1995).
Its St-Sabas' parish church (Mar Saba) dates back to the Crusaders. It was built on a heathen temple from which only one stone remains, with Greek writing. There is also Sts-Sergius and Bacchus (Mar Sarkis wa Bakhos) old church, which was a monastery in the past. in addition, there is the Lady's Church (As-Saydet) that dates back to the thirteenth century and Lady Barbara's (Saydet Al-Barbara) from which some vestiges are still extant.
One can also visit the monastery of "Mar Youhanna-Maroun", which was the residence of the first Maronite Patriarch (Youhanna-Maroun, late seventh century A.D.) and actually the residence of the bishop of Maronite Diocese of Batroun. It was restored in the second half of the eighteenth century in the days of Patriarch Youssef Estephan.
At Kfarhay there are two old caves, each with eight rooms and rocky sarcophagi close to Lady Barbara. On the banks of the "Al-Jawz" River that border on Kfarhay from the north, one can see old water mills.
Since the relics of St-Maron (Mar Maroun) were returned from Italy to the Monastery of "Mar Youhanna-Maroun" on 8/1/2000, this Patriarchal See has become a visiting-place to believers from all over the world. St-Maron's Day is celebrated on 9th ofFebruary. And Mar Youhanna Maroun's day on the 2nd of March.

In Mar Youhanna-Maroun Monastery, is a religious museum displaying a collection of icons, vestments, books, utensils and ancient religious manuscripts