The Qadisha Valley is a valley that lies within the Becharre and Zgharta Districts of the North Governate of Lebanon. The valley is a deep gorge carved by the Qadisha River.
Qadisha means "Holy" in Aramaic, and the valley, sometimes called the Holy Valley, has sheltered Christian monastic communities for many centuries.
The long, deep Qadisha Valley is located at the foot of Mount al-Makmal in northern Lebanon. Through it, the Holy River, Nahr Qadisha, runs for 35 km from its source in a cave (grotto) a little way below the Cedars.
The sides of the valley are cliffs that contain many caves, often at more than 1000m, and all difficult to access.
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 early Christian faith.
