Saint George Greek Orthodox Cathedral (
consecrated
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...
1764, ar, كاتدرائية القديس جاورجيوس للروم الارثوذكس) is the seat of the
Greek Orthodox
The term Greek Orthodox Church (Greek language, Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία, ''Ellinorthódoxi Ekklisía'', ) has two meanings. The broader meaning designates "the Eastern Orthodox Church, entire body of Orthodox (Chalced ...
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan (alternative obsolete form: metropolite), pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis.
Originally, the term referred to the b ...
of the
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Beirut
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Beirut ( ar, مطرانية الروم الأرثوذكس في بيروت) is one of the nineteen archdioceses of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch. The establishment of the Archdiocese of Beirut is attribute ...
and its dependencies. It is the city's oldest extant church:
it has been built over the disappeared ''Anastasi Romano-Byzantine Cathedral''.
History
The establishment of the
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Beirut
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Beirut ( ar, مطرانية الروم الأرثوذكس في بيروت) is one of the nineteen archdioceses of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch. The establishment of the Archdiocese of Beirut is attribute ...
is attributed according to the
Greek Orthodox
The term Greek Orthodox Church (Greek language, Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία, ''Ellinorthódoxi Ekklisía'', ) has two meanings. The broader meaning designates "the Eastern Orthodox Church, entire body of Orthodox (Chalced ...
tradition to the
Apostle Quartus of Berytus, one of the
Seventy disciples, who served as Beirut's first bishop.
Byzantine emperor
This is a list of the Byzantine emperors from the foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD, which marks the conventional start of the Eastern Roman Empire, to its fall to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. Only the emperors who were recognized as le ...
Theodosius II issued a decree AD elevating the bishop of Beirut Efstathius to the rank of
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan (alternative obsolete form: metropolite), pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis.
Originally, the term referred to the b ...
. The city was until then a diocese of the
Metropolis
A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications.
A big c ...
of Tyre.
The
Anastasis cathedral was the first church to be built on the site of the Saint George cathedral.
It was built by Efstathuis in the fifth century AD and bordered the
auditoria
An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances. For movie theatres, the number of auditoria (or auditoriums) is expressed as the number of screens. Auditoria can be found in entertainment venues, community ...
of Beirut's
Roman law school. The church influenced the teachings of the school as law scholars worked to reconcile the texts of Roman law and the teachings of Christianity as attested by
Severus of Antioch
Severus the Great of Antioch (Greek: Σεβῆρος; syr, ܣܘܝܪܝܘܣ ܕܐܢܛܝܘܟܝܐ), also known as Severus of Gaza or Crown of Syrians (Syriac: ܬܓܐ ܕܣܘܪܝܥܝܐ; Tagha d'Suryoye; Arabic: تاج السوريين; Taj al-Suriyyun ...
, who visited the city in the fifth century AD.
In 551 AD a
massive earthquake destroyed the whole of Beirut including the "Anastasis cathedral". In the 12th century a cathedral was built in the same location. The structure was badly damaged by a 1759 earthquake and was pulled down to be built anew. Construction started in 1764 and the new, larger structure, with one nave and a vaulted ceiling, was completed in 1767. However, the ceiling collapsed killing 90 people, due to the lack of supporting pillars.
In 1772 the church was rebuilt on a cruciform plan with three naves, a new portico was added to the north facade, the main western facade was enlarged and a new bell-tower was built on the north-western corner.
In 1783 the cathedral underwent a series of modifications, including the addition of the
narthex
The narthex is an architectural element typical of early Christian and Byzantine basilicas and churches consisting of the entrance or lobby area, located at the west end of the nave, opposite the church's main altar. Traditionally the narthex ...
to the western facade and the enlargement of the apse to fit the central axis of the cathedral's main altar. That same year Younes al-Jbeily offered the church its ornate gilded wooden
iconostasis
In Eastern Christianity, an iconostasis ( gr, εἰκονοστάσιον) is a wall of icons and religious paintings, separating the nave from the sanctuary in a Church (building), church. ''Iconostasis'' also refers to a portable icon stand t ...
.
The last modifications to the cathedral were made in 1910, with the addition of a vaulted portico to the south facade, the cathedral was further enlarged to the east and the bell tower was moved to the south-east corner. The interior of the cathedral was decorated with ornate frescoes offered by Ibrahim Youssef Saad.
In 1975, following the outbreak of the
Lebanese civil war
The Lebanese Civil War ( ar, الحرب الأهلية اللبنانية, translit=Al-Ḥarb al-Ahliyyah al-Libnāniyyah) was a multifaceted armed conflict that took place from 1975 to 1990. It resulted in an estimated 120,000 fatalities a ...
, the cathedral was shelled and vandalized and its elaborate frescoes were left to decay. Most of the icons and part of the iconostasis were stolen; parts of the 18th century iconsostasis were also set on fire. The
excavations undertaken under the cathedral during 17 months in 1994–1995 covered and revealed many archaeological layers that allowed a historical timeline of the church and its surroundings to be constructed. On 10 October 1995
Metropolitan Elias Audi
Metropolitan Elias Audi ( ar, المتروبوليت إلياس عوده; born 1941, Enfeh, Koura) is the current Metropolitan bishop of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch for the Archdiocese of Beirut in Lebanon.
Elias Audi was born during 194 ...
announced plans to restore the war-torn cathedral. The first phase of restoration began in 1998, under the supervision of a committee headed by
Ghassan Tueni
Ghassan Tueni ( ar, غسان تويني; 5 January 1926 – 8 June 2012) was a veteran Lebanese journalist, politician and diplomat who headed ''An Nahar'', one of the Arab World's leading newspapers. He was often referred to as the "Dean ...
. The cathedral reopened its doors on 15 December 2003.
The cathedral was badly damaged in the
Beirut explosions of 4 August 2020.
The archaeological crypt museum
In 1994, archaeological excavations undertaken within and in the vicinity of the Saint George cathedral before the initiation of restoration works unveiled a number of artifacts and vestiges spanning the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Medieval and Ottoman eras. The aim of the excavation was to locate the Byzantine Anastasis cathedral in relation to the standing cathedral and ultimately triangulate the location of the ancient
Law School of Beirut. The excavations also revealed the sequence of continuous religious use of the site.
A committee was formed under the patronage of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Beirut to oversee the excavations and the creation of the Saint George archaeological crypt museum. The founding committee was headed by archaeologist Leila Bader who served as the director of the
American University of Beirut Archaeological Museum and included Nabil Azar, Yasmine Macaron Bou Assaf, Katia Neeman Salha and Rita Kalindjian. The creation of the museum was funded by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Beirut with a donation from the
Jacques and Naila Saadé foundation.
The museum was inaugurated on 3 December 2011.
The museum consists of a
crypt
A crypt (from Latin ''crypta'' "vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, sarcophagi, or religious relics.
Originally, crypts were typically found below the main apse of a chur ...
running under a part of the cathedral where visitors walk through 12 stops showcasing the different archaeological and historical layers.
The museum has a surface area of , it is accessible through a breach in the cathedral's foundation wall and a stairwell built in front of the church's northern side.
Towards the end of the circuit, the crypt opens up to a glass partition giving views to the cathedral's altar.
The display includes a number of finds such as oil lamps, smoking pipes, pottery, statuettes and Christian vessels and ornaments. Other vestiges kept in-situ include parts of the older churches' altars and apse, mosaics, stone engravings, tombstones and columns, some of which belong to the old city's
Cardo maximus
A cardo (plural ''cardines'') was a north–south street in Ancient Roman cities and military castra, camps as an integral component of city planning. The cardo maximus, or most often the ''cardo'', was the main or central north–south-oriented ...
.
The excavated area also includes a necropolis where 25 burials were opened. The tombs were oriented on an east–west axis, with the head facing west. These graves consisted of a single sandstone course overlaid by large stone slabs. A large quantity of iron nails were uncovered in the necropolis suggesting the use of wooden coffins in the funeral customs. Among the uncovered tombs was a one containing the skeleton of a man wearing a bronze tiara, with an iron arrowhead and three bronze amulets placed over his chest.
See also
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Beirut Central District
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Eastern Orthodox Church
The Eastern Orthodox Church, also called the Orthodox Church, is the second-largest Christian church, with approximately 220 million baptized members. It operates as a communion of autocephalous churches, each governed by its bishops via ...
*
Eastern Orthodox Christianity in Lebanon
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Christianity in Lebanon
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Saint George Maronite Cathedral, Beirut
Saint George Maronite Cathedral ( ar, كاتدرائية مار جرجس للموارنة) is the cathedral of the Maronite Catholic Archeparchy of Beirut, Archdiocese of the city of Beirut, Lebanon. Its construction, with a Neoclassical facade, ...
*
Sayyidat al-Nouriyyeh
References
{{Roman Archaeological sites in Beirut & Lebanon
Cathedrals in Beirut
Greek Orthodox churches in Lebanon
Museums in Beirut
Churches completed in 1772
Greek Orthodox cathedrals in Asia
1770s establishments in Ottoman Syria
2020 Beirut explosion