Small monastery in Batroun area vandalized

NORTH LEBANON — Unidentified individuals broke into the historic Saint John Chrysostom Monastery in Koubba, in the Batroun district, overnight Thursday to Friday, vandalizing outdoor installations, including the lighting system, and tearing out electrical cables, according to our North Lebanon correspondent Michel Hallak and Father Michel Halahel, the parish priest of Koubba, to which the monastery is attached. The site, which is usually closed, occasionally hosts religious celebrations and ceremonies.

According to Father Halahel, the monastery, established in 2020 inside a natural cave and surrounded by a wall, was closed at the time of the incident. The perpetrators reportedly climbed over the iron gates blocking access to enter the compound, where they damaged the facade but did not enter the church itself. "They destroyed everything and tore out the cables," the priest said. The incident was reported to the Internal Security Forces (ISF), and the relevant authorities are investigating to identify those responsible.

This is not the first time the site has been targeted. Batteries previously installed there were stolen. Father Halahel noted, however, that no valuable items are currently kept on the premises, as the monastery remains closed most of the time. For him, the damage caused this time appears to go beyond an attempt to steal. "It’s like revenge. It’s evil," he said. The monastery is not entirely abandoned, however, and is used for religious holidays and certain ceremonies, including weddings and baptisms.

In early May, another monastery in North Lebanon, the Saint Challita Shrine in a valley in Akkar, was vandalized by unidentified individuals, prompting condemnation from local political figures. Several statues of saints were smashed inside the historic site’s compound, and some objects were set on fire. In June 2025, a statue of the Virgin Mary was also damaged in Shadra, on the road leading to the Saint James (Mar Yaacoub) Monastery, also in Akkar. Such incidents are not uncommon in Lebanon, where religious statues are occasionally vandalized in different parts of the country, provoking strong emotions among the faithful.