Church of Saidet et Tallé
Maronite Church in Lebanon / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Church of Saidet et Tallé, sometimes spelled Saydet El Talle and translated as Our Lady of the Hill, is a Maronite church in Deir el Qamar in Lebanon. It is one of the most important historical and religious sites in Deir el Qamar and dates to the 16th century.
Monk Nicolas Smisaati built a church on the site over the ruins of an old Phoenician temple dedicated to the goddess Astarte. It was destroyed by an earthquake in 859 and reconstructed by the Order of the Templars during the Crusades.[1]
The second church was destroyed by the Saracens and rebuilt during Fakhreddine 1st Maan's (1518-1544) reign. In 1673, Sheikh Abu Fares Karam of Ehden (Emir Ahmed Maan’s secretary) and his brother Sheikh Abu Nader enlarged the church and added a vault. During the reign of Bechir II Chehab (1789-1840) it was again enlarged and renovated.[1]