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(400m - 20km from Beirut) - Caverns Sculpted By Water and Time
Few grottos in the world match the astounding wealth of
Jeita. Over time, the action of water has created cathedral-like
vaults beneath the wooded hills of Mount Lebanon.
Geologically, the caves provide a tunnel for the underground river, which is the principal source of the Nahr
el-Kalb (Dog
River).
The caverns are on two levels. The lower galleries, discovered in 1836 and opened to the public in 1958, are visited by boat.
The 600m trip on a subterranean lake is surrealistic, starting with the
roar of the waterfall at the entrance giving way to profound silence as
one slides deeper into the cave. An effective new lighting system
illuminates the caverns allowing the visitor to glimpse the uppermost
roofs.
The upper galleries, opened in January 1969, can be seen on foot through a
120 meter-long concrete tunnel. This section shows what the entire
cave system was like before geological conditions displaced the
subterranean river to its present level, and is a delight to see. Perhaps the most dramatic
sight is the yawning canyons and sink holes, some seen at a drop of over a
hundred meters.
In summer you can visit both the upper and lower galleries while enjoying the refreshingly cool temperature inside the caves. The lower section is sometimes closed in winter when the water-level is high, but the extensive upper galleries are open all year.
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