Day 2: (September 14, 2017) Introductory Lecture: Regional History

Sites: Nahr el Kalb, Faqra Roman Ruins, Jeita Grotto - UNESCO World Heritage Site

After the introductory lecture by Tony Nasrallah – Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Notre Dame University – Louaize (NDU), Lebanon, we were taken to different sites relating to the lecture we had. We visited places like the Famous Dog River Valley, Jeita Grotto (two caves, lower and upper caves), Faqra Roman Ruins. We saw one of the Ottoman’s Bridges that is still in use.

The Dog River Valley

The famous “Dog River Valley” is a river that springs from a source near Jeita Grotto and runs down to the Mediterranean Sea. Army generals and conquerors of the past had traditionally made the stone around the river a site for commemorative statues that chronicle their historic conquests and brave campaigns.                                                  

The Jeita Grotto

The Jeita Grotto is widely considered the pride of Lebanon. The cave was said to have been inhabited by prehistoric man. There are upper and lower caves.