Harissa, Lebanon
High above the Bay of Jounieh, a great white figure of the Virgin Mary stands on a stone tower, her arms open toward the sea and the city below. This is Harissa, Lebanon's national Marian shrine, and for more than a century it has been the country's most beloved place of pilgrimage.
People come here by the millions. They ride a cable car up the mountainside, climb the spiral staircase around the statue's base, and stand at the feet of Our Lady looking out over the coast. Christians, Muslims, and Druze all make the journey, drawn to a place that has become a symbol of Lebanon itself.
Harissa is not an ancient site. The statue is little more than a hundred years old, and the basilica beside it is modern. What gives the hill its meaning is not age but presence: the sense that this figure watches over the country, and that the people who climb to her feet are never turned away.
Where Harissa Is
Harissa sits in the Keserwan district of Mount Lebanon, about 20 kilometers north of Beirut. It rises directly above Jounieh, the busy coastal city on the bay, at roughly 650 meters above sea level.
The setting is part of the draw. From the shrine you look down over the red rooftops of Jounieh, the curve of the bay, and the Mediterranean stretching to the horizon. On clear days the view runs for miles along the coast in both directions.
The village itself is quiet, wrapped around the hill in terraces of houses, churches, and convents. Several religious communities have made Harissa their home over the years, and the slopes are dotted with chapels and monasteries. But everything here points upward, toward the statue on the summit.
The Statue of Our Lady of Lebanon
The heart of Harissa is the great statue of Our Lady of Lebanon, known in French as Notre-Dame du Liban. It is a bronze figure of the Virgin Mary, painted white, standing about 8.5 meters tall and weighing in the region of 15 tons.
The statue was cast in France and brought to Lebanon by sea in the early years of the twentieth century. It was placed on a large stone tower on the hilltop and inaugurated in 1908. That year, the Maronite Patriarch proclaimed Mary the Queen of Lebanon, and Harissa became the center of her national devotion.
The project was commissioned by Maronite Patriarch Elias Hoayek to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, which Pope Pius IX had proclaimed in 1854. The shrine was a way of dedicating the whole country to Mary at a moment of great devotion across the Catholic world.
Mary is shown standing with her arms slightly open and lowered, turned toward Beirut and the coast, as if reaching toward the people below. The white of the statue makes it visible from far out at sea and from much of the surrounding coast, a landmark long before it is a shrine.
Climbing to the Crown
What surprises many first-time visitors is that you do not simply look at the statue. You climb it. A spiral staircase winds up the outside of the stone tower that forms the base, curling around and around until it reaches the platform just beneath the Virgin's feet.
The climb is short but memorable. As you rise, the view opens further with every turn, until you stand at the top with the whole bay spread below and the great white figure towering directly above you.
Inside the base of the statue there is a small chapel, a quiet space set into the tower where visitors can pause and pray away from the crowds. It is easy to miss in the flow of pilgrims, but it is one of the most peaceful corners of the shrine.
The Modern Basilica
Beside the statue stands the modern Basilica of Our Lady of Lebanon, a striking building of concrete and glass that could hardly be more different from the traditional statue it accompanies. Its foundation stone was laid in 1970, and it was completed in the mid-1970s.
The design was the work of a Lebanese architect, and its form is meant to evoke the country's own heritage. The sweeping shape has been described as recalling both a Lebanese cedar and the prow of a Phoenician ship, tying the building to the land and sea it overlooks. Inside, a wide circular nave can hold several thousand worshippers.
The contrast between the old statue and the modern basilica is part of what makes Harissa feel alive rather than frozen in the past. One speaks of the faith of a century ago; the other of a country that kept building on that faith.
A short distance away stands a second, Byzantine-style basilica dedicated to Saint Paul, which belongs to the Melkite Greek Catholic Church. Harissa has long been a meeting point for several of Lebanon's Eastern Catholic communities, and more than one church shares the hill.
The Téléphérique from Jounieh
For many visitors, half the experience is the journey up. The téléphérique, a cable car that opened in 1965, runs from the coast at Jounieh up the mountainside to Harissa, covering about 1.5 kilometers in roughly nine minutes.
The enclosed gondolas carry small groups and rise steadily above the rooftops, the churches, and the terraced slopes. The view back over the bay grows wider with every meter of the climb, and by the top the whole coastline is laid out below.
The cable car has become a landmark in its own right, a favorite of both pilgrims and day-trippers. Riding it up and walking or driving down, or the reverse, is a common way to make the most of a visit.
A Shrine for the Whole Country
Harissa holds a place in Lebanese life that goes beyond any single community. The shrine belongs to the Maronite Patriarchate, and its care has long been entrusted to the Maronite Lebanese Missionaries, who welcome pilgrims and keep the daily rhythm of prayer.
Yet the hill draws far more than Maronites. Lebanese of many faiths climb to Our Lady, and she is honored across the country's religious lines as a figure of protection and unity. In a land marked by division, Harissa is one of the few places nearly everyone claims as their own.
The shrine has also welcomed the wider Church. Pope John Paul II prayed here during his visit to Lebanon in 1997, and Pope Benedict XVI came to Harissa in 2012, signing an important document for the Christians of the Middle East at the basilica of Saint Paul. These visits confirmed Harissa's standing as a shrine of international importance.
Visiting Harissa Today
Getting there: Harissa is about 20 kilometers north of Beirut, above Jounieh. You can drive up the mountain road from Jounieh in around 15 to 20 minutes, with parking near the shrine, or take the téléphérique cable car up from the coast in about nine minutes. Taxis and organized tours from Beirut are widely available.
What to see: The great statue of Our Lady of Lebanon and the spiral staircase to the platform beneath her feet. The small chapel inside the statue's base. The modern Basilica of Our Lady of Lebanon beside it. The nearby Byzantine-style basilica of Saint Paul. And, in every direction, the views over Jounieh, the bay, and the sea.
Hours and access: The shrine grounds are open to visitors, and there is no entrance fee to approach the statue. Mass is celebrated in the basilica. As at any place of worship, modest dress is appreciated, and quiet is expected in the chapels.
Best time to visit: Spring and autumn bring the most comfortable weather, and the month of May is the high season of pilgrimage, with the feast of Our Lady of Lebanon on the first Sunday. Early morning and late afternoon offer softer light and thinner crowds, and sunset over the bay from the summit is worth planning for.
Combining your visit: Harissa pairs naturally with Jounieh on the coast below and with other sites of Maronite heritage further north, including Annaya monastery, where Saint Charbel lived, and the Qadisha Valley, the holy valley of the Maronite monks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Harissa in Lebanon?
Harissa is a hilltop village in the Keserwan district of Mount Lebanon, about 20 kilometers north of Beirut and directly above the coastal city of Jounieh. It sits at roughly 650 meters above sea level, looking out over the Bay of Jounieh and the Mediterranean. You can reach it by car up the winding mountain road or by the téléphérique cable car from Jounieh.
What is the statue at Harissa?
The statue at Harissa is Our Lady of Lebanon, a French-made bronze statue of the Virgin Mary painted white, standing about 8.5 meters tall and weighing roughly 15 tons. It was cast in France, inaugurated in 1908, and placed on a stone tower on the hilltop. Mary stands with her arms open toward Beirut and the coast. Visitors can climb a spiral staircase around the base to reach the platform beneath her feet.
How do you get to Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa?
There are two ways. You can drive up the mountain road from Jounieh, which takes about 15 to 20 minutes, with parking near the shrine. Or you can take the téléphérique, the cable car that runs from Jounieh up to Harissa in about nine minutes, offering wide views of the bay along the way. Many pilgrims ride the cable car up and enjoy the panorama during the ascent.
When is the feast of Our Lady of Lebanon?
The feast of Our Lady of Lebanon is celebrated on the first Sunday of May. Throughout May, the shrine at Harissa draws large numbers of pilgrims, with the greatest crowds gathering on the feast Sunday itself. May is traditionally the month of Mary, so the whole month sees processions, Masses, and visitors from across Lebanon and the diaspora.
Is Harissa the same as the Our Lady of Lebanon devotion?
They are closely linked but not the same. Harissa is the place, the hill above Jounieh where the national Marian shrine stands. Our Lady of Lebanon is the devotion and the title given to the Virgin Mary as patroness of the country, expressed through the statue and the shrine at Harissa. The Maronite Patriarch proclaimed Mary Queen of Lebanon in 1908, and the shrine at Harissa became the heart of that devotion.
See also: Our Lady of Lebanon, the devotion behind the shrine and its statue. Maronites in Lebanon, the community whose patroness watches over Harissa. Saint Charbel, Lebanon's beloved hermit saint. Learn more about the Maronite tradition.