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39-582: The valley is at risk due to the encroachment of human settlement, illegal building, and inconsistent conservation activity. Although it is not on the UNESCO "in danger" list, there have been warnings that continued violations may lead to this step. The holy river , Nahr Qadisha, runs through the valley for 35 km from its source in a cave (grotto) a little way below the Forest of the Cedars of God . The sides of

78-642: A central element in the creations accounts of almost every culture with mythological, cosmological , and theological myths. In this way, many groups characterize water as "living water", or the "water of life". This means that it gives life and is the fundamental element from which life arises. Each religious or cultural group that feature waters as sacred substances tends to favor certain categorizations of some waters more than others, usually those that are most accessible to them and that best integrate into their rituals. While all rivers in Hinduism are sacred,

117-496: A deceased person is cleansed by the Ganges, it will help liberate their soul , or expedite the number of lives they need to achieve this. In the traditional funerary ceremony, a dead person is placed upon a funeral pyre until the body becomes cremated , then the ashes are sent upon the river. Many Hindus go to great lengths to purify themselves one last time before death. When this is not possible, family members will actually mail

156-488: A direct connection to the watery underworld and underground water obtained through a cave as an even better connection to spirits and deities. Cenotes are very important to the Mayas. The famous Sacred Cenote at Chichen Itza proves to be important with the many findings of artifacts and skeletal remains. Sacrifices were common at this site among the ancient Maya. Different people were sacrificed and findings show that most of

195-508: A god of agriculture - Dagan . Next to it, another church dedicated to Our Lady was constructed in 1198 A.D. Several buildings were added from 1404 till 1690, when Patriarch Estephan Douaihy restored part of the buildings. Mar Lishaa or St Elisha (دير مار ﺃليشع), mentioned first in the 14th century, is shared by two communities, a Maronite solitary order and the Barefoot Carmelite order. It consists of three or four small cells,

234-676: A refectory, and some offices; the communal church includes four chapels cut into the rock-face. Other monastic establishments in the Qadisha are the Monastery of Mar Girgis, with the Chapel of Mar Challita, the Monastery of Mar Yuhanna, the Monastery of Mar Abun, with the Hermitage of Mar Sarkis, and the Monastery of Mart Moura, Ehden and others. There is another group of monasteries in the adjoining Hadchit Valley (Ouadi Houlat). They include

273-560: A team of speleologists from the GERSL scientific organisation in the Qadisha Valley between 1989 and 1991. These were found in the 'Asi-al Hadath cave along with a wealth of artifacts. In 1998, UNESCO added the valley to the list of World Heritage Sites because of its importance as the site of some of the earliest Christian monastic settlements in the world, and its continued example of Christian faith. The Kadisha (Holy) Valley

312-528: A very illustrative account of his personal visit to the Ganges in which he described seeing both animal and human corpses floating down the river or sometimes embedded in heaps of garbage. People continued to bathe, and children to play in very murky waters; the color in some parts completely changed from toxic sewage and runoff . As the Ganges River remains interwoven into daily existence, Hindus are vulnerable to urban contamination. Lake Titicaca

351-590: Is dedicated to Saints Sarkis and Bakhos (Saints Sergius and Bacchus). The name Ras Al Nahr means the top of the river as it is in the vicinity of the Mar Sarkis source, the main contributor to the Qlaynsieh River which joins the Qannubin River in the valley. The first church of Saints Sarkis and Bakhos was built in the mid 8th Century A.D. on the ruins of a Canaanite temple dedicated to

390-750: Is often attributed to the Emperor Theodosius the Great in 375AD, it is more likely that it was established by a disciple of St Theodosius the Cenobite. For the most part it is cut into the rock cliff side - monastic cells, church, cloister, and accommodation for travelers. Since the fifteenth century, Qannubin started to be the See of the Maronite Patriarch. The Monastery of Qozhaya (Deir Mar Antonios Qozhaya (دير مارانطﻮنيوﺱ ﻗﺰحيا)) sits on

429-494: Is said to purify the soul of negative karma , corporeal sins , and even impurities from previous lives . At sunrise along the Ganges, pilgrims descend the ghat steps to drink of the waters, bathe themselves in the waters and perform ablutions where they submerge their entire bodies. These practitioners desire to imbibe and surround themselves with the Ganges’s waters so that they can be purified. Hindu conceptualizations of

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468-555: Is the site of some of the most ancient Christian monastic communities of the Middle East . The valley's natural caves, being comfortless, scattered, and difficult to access, provided monks and hermits sufficiently isolated and inhospitable conditions to live out Christian solitude, contemplation, and devotion. Many of the caves and irregularities in the cliff-sides were adapted to serve as individual dwellings (cells), chapels, and monasteries, and such buildings were further carved out of

507-441: Is water elevated with the sacramental blessing of a cleric . These organic bodies of water have attained religious significance not from the modern alteration or blessing, but were sanctified through mythological or historical figures. Sacred waters have been exploited for cleansing, healing, initiations , and death rites . Ubiquitous and perpetual fixations with water occur across religious traditions. It tends to be

546-572: Is widely known as being a sacred place for the Inca people. The Inca Empire origins lie in Lake Titicaca. Ancient Incan myths describe the Incas as being blessed by the sun because the sun first emerged from Lake Titicaca. Since then, the sun organizes social order and the movement of the sun organizes rituals and gatherings. The first emergence of people in the time of the sun emergence is said to be

585-730: The First and the Second temples in Jerusalem . Historical sources report that the cedar forests were beginning to disappear at the time of Justinian in the 6th century AD. Qadisha Valley's natural caves have been used as shelters and for burials since the Palaeolithic period. The Aassi Hauqqa (cave) in particular, near Hawqa , has yielded archaeological items indicating use in the Palaeolithic, Roman , and medieval periods. Since

624-625: The Ganges River (Ganga) is particularly revered. In the Vedic myths , the goddess Ganga descended upon the earth to purify and prepare the dead. The Ganges in India is seen as the physical embodiment of this goddess. Since the river waters are as both inherently pure themselves and having major purificatory qualities, people come to bathe in them, drink from them, leave offerings for them, and give their physical remains to them. The Ganges

663-583: The Vimose comb . These depositions are typically interpreted as gifts to gods , aiming to either give thanks for, or receive, positive outcomes such as good harvests, success in water or safe passage across the body of water. Bog bodies found in Germanic areas, such as the Grauballe Man , have often been interpreted as sacrifices, however alternative, but not mutually exclusive, proposals include that

702-458: The elite in their caste system. The origin of the elite was and continues to be contested among the people on the Island of Lake Titicaca. Thus, creating competition to become part of the elite rank. In recent times, the pollution of Lake Titicaca has built up and caused an increase of green algae . The people of Lake Titicaca Special Projects continuously are creating ways to bring awareness to

741-522: The Aassi Hauqqa (cave) at 1170m altitude. Archaeological finds show that this cave was in use in Palaeolithic , Roman , and Medieval times . The Monastery of Mar Sarkis , also called Ras Al Nahr, overlooks Ehden , Kfarsghab , Bane and Hadath El Jebbeh. Given its exceptional location overlooking the valley at an altitude of 1500m, the monastery is called the Watchful Eye of Qadisha . It

780-577: The Black Mesa to transport their mining minerals. In May 2002 the Navajo and Hopi people from northeastern Arizona joined their people in St. Louis Missouri to fight against Peabody Energy and its shareholders. In January 2002 Peabody proposed and was granted the right to use thirty-two percent more Navajo Aquifer (Naquifer) water than they had already been using. The significant increase in water pumped out of

819-461: The Naquifer, dramatically affected the drinkability of the water from the springs and wells connected to the Naquifer. Before the significant increase of pumping, the water was clean enough to drink without any kind of purification. Another result of the pumping is the noticeable drop in the water levels of the springs and wells. The drop in water levels was almost immediately recognized after Peabody

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858-421: The Navajo and Hopi people. In respect for the water, these people carryout religious and ceremonial tributes to the water of the Black Mesa. These waters have organized their people around the Black Mesa and resulted in the reliance of the waters for all aspects of their lives. With the emergence of Peabody Energy came threats to the preservation of their sacred water. Peabody Energy pumps water out from underneath

897-810: The Valley. The first printing press in the Middle East was founded in 1585 at the Monastery of Qozhaya in the Kadisha Valley, and in 1610 printed its first book, the Book of Psalms in the Syriac language . It used Syriac characters. Also this printing press was the first to print in Arabic language Eight well preserved natural mummies of villagers dating back to around 1283 A.D. were uncovered by Fadi Baroudy, Pierre Abi Aoun, Paul Kahawaja & Antoine Ghaouch,

936-418: The ashes to a priest so that he can perform the ceremony of entering the waters. Manu , the mythic law giver, gave directives and prohibitions regarding the river: “impure objects like urine, feces, spit; or anything which has these elements, blood, or poison should not be cast into the water”. Few or none of his directives hold forth along most places down the Ganges today. Journalist Joshua Hammer wrote

975-443: The base of an enormous cave. It was founded in the late 13th century by villagers from Hawqa . The hermitage appears to have been located on a wide platform at mid-level, where there is a water reservoir fed by channels. The upper level, only accessible by ladder, is a cave some 47m long, where the wealth of medieval pottery and arrowheads that have been found suggests its use as a refuge. Traces of fortifications have also been found in

1014-413: The cliff faces of the valley. Some have interiors covered with frescoes and facades. Around the caves there are terraced fields made by the hermits for growing grain, grapes, and olives. While there are numerous monasteries in the valley, there are several main monastic complexes: The Qannubin Monastery (Deir Qannubin (دير قنوبين)), is on the northeast side of the Qadisha Valley. Although its foundation

1053-437: The early days of Christianity the valley has served as a refuge for those in search of solitude. The Maronite monks established their new center at Qannubin, in the heart of the Qadisha, and monasteries quickly spread over the surrounding hills. Early Maronite settlement in the valley combined both community and eremitic life. The Mameluk sultans Baibars and Qalaoun led campaigns in 1268 and 1283, respectively, against

1092-705: The fortress-caves, monasteries, and the surrounding villages. Despite these attacks, the Deir Qannubin monastery was to become the seat of the Maronite Patriarch in the 15th century and remained so for 500 years. In the 17th century, the Maronite monks’ reputation for piety was promoted through the Maronite school founded in Rome in 1584. by dint of this exposure, many European poets, historians, geographers, politicians, and clergy visited and even settled in

1131-755: The hermitage-monastery complexes of Deir es-Salib, Mar Antonios, Mar Semaane, and Mar Assia, along with the isolated chapels of Mar Bohna and Mar Chmouna. Bsharri , Dimane , Bane , Tourza , Hasroun , Bazaoun, Bqarqacha , Bqaa Kafra , Braissat , Hadchit , Blaouza , Hadath , Monastery of Qannoubine , Monastery of Hawqa Arbet Qozhaya , Ehden , Kfarsghab , Hawqa , Aintourine , Sereel , El Fradiss, Mazraat En Nahr , Beit Balais, Monastery of Qozhaya , Monastery of Mar Sarkis Ras Al Nahr [REDACTED] Holy river Sacred waters are sacred natural sites characterized by tangible topographical land formations such as rivers , lakes , springs , reservoirs , and oceans , as opposed to holy water which

1170-477: The importance of a clean lake for their society. The ancient Maya people valued social order and their society flourished because of the structure of their order. The ancient Maya strived and focused their actions on pleasing their many gods. Essentially, the Maya believed that the world consisted of three layers: the watery underworld , the middle earthly realm, and the sky realm. The Maya viewed bodies of water as

1209-464: The most highly prized building materials of the ancient world. The forest is said to contain 375 individual trees, two claimed to be over 3,000 years old, ten over 1,000 years old, and the remainder at least centuries old. The Lebanon Cedar ( Cedrus Libani ) is described in ancient works on botany as the oldest tree in the world. It was admired by the Israelites , who brought it to their land to build

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1248-476: The opposite flank of the Qadisha from Qannubin Monastery. Tradition has its foundation in the 4th century by St Hilarion , in honour of the Egyptian anchorite , St Anthony the Great , though the earliest documentary records date back only to around 1000 AD. It was destroyed in the 16th century but quickly restored. It comprises a corridor, meeting room, and chapel, with a mill and a number of hermitages cut into

1287-530: The people were men and children. Like any archeological site, looting is a problem in preserving and studying the cenote at Chichen Itza. The Navajo and Hopi people have long embraced the water underneath and around the Black Mesa area as sacred to their people. The people have long lived around and became dependent on springs and wells of the Black Mesa. These waters are the only source of drinking water, water for livestock, and water for agriculture for

1326-595: The person was executed as a punishment, that it was a form of normal burial or that they were placed there after death to stop them from coming back as a harmful being such as a draug . It is also important to note that human depositions are notably rare in comparison to other finds. Many lakes and rivers have names that are linked to beings such as gods, including Tyesmere ( Tīw 's mere) in England and Tissø ( Týr 's or god 's lake) in Denmark . The latter body of water

1365-620: The rock nearby. The monastery is also home to the first printing press of the Middle East that was invented in 1610. The book printed was a bilingual Psalter in a small folio of 260 pages. The psalms are arranged in two columns, on the right is the text in Syriac and on the left in Arabic, but written in Syriac letters, which is known as Garshuni . Saydet Hawqa is situated at an altitude of 1150m between Qannubin and Qozhaya Monasteries, at

1404-565: The sacred are fluid and renewable. Purity and pollution exist upon a continuum where most entities, including people, can become sacred and then become stagnated and full of sin once again. Performing these rituals is also an act to become closer to the Hindu deities , and ultimately the Divine . The Ganges is one of the most highly favored sites for funerary rituals in India. It is presumed that if

1443-480: The valley are steep cliffs that contain many caves, often at more than 1,000 m and all difficult of access. The most scenic section of the valley stretches for approximately 20 km between Bsharri (Arabic: بشري ), the hometown of Kahlil Gibran , and Tourza (Arabic: طورزا ). Kadisha Valley lies west of the Forest of the Cedars of God, (situated on the mountain above), survivors of the ancient Cedars of Lebanon ,

1482-641: Was granted permission to pump out more water. This had caused disruption in the ceremonial and cultural lives of the Navajo and Hopi people as well as disruption to their farming. Watery places have been considered holy in Germanic cultures since the Nordic Bronze Age and used for diverse religious purposes, such as depositions of items such as the Dejbjerg wagon , the Gundestrup cauldron and

1521-485: Was the site of a religious centre during the Viking Age . After the establishment of Christianity, many religious practices involving wetlands were made illegal but some others were incorporated and adapted into the new religion, such as the use of holy wells and the conception of water as a liminal place where supernatural beings could be encountered. Qannoubine Too Many Requests If you report this error to

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