The Saint George Greek Orthodox Cathedral

th
4 is the oldest functioning church in Beirut and
the mother church of Lebanon's Greek
centu Orthodox Community. It has a rich history
dating back to the late 4th century.
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The original church was later upgraded to a
cathedral in 500 AD after the creation of the 500
archdiocese of berytus (roman beirut)
AD

The Anastasis Cathedral was destroyed along

551 with the rest of Beirut and other Levantine

cities by an earthquake and ensuing tsunami

AD in 551 AD. It was later rebuilt

it was burned in 1291 by Salah El Din Al Ayyoubi, the

Mamluk general who recaptured the Lebanese coastline
after the Crusades.The church was rebuilt by the
Orthodox community following improved relations
1291
between the Mamlukes and the Christian communities AD

Again it was damaged by an earthquake in 1759

1759 and was subsequently demolished to be rebuilt.
The current structure was constructed in 1772
AD and underwent modifications throughout the
late 18th century
During the Lebanese civil war (1975-1990), the
cathedral was heavily damaged by shelling, fire, and
looting. In 1995, archaeological excavations beneath
the church revealed a wealth of stratified structures,
including intricate mosaics from the 4th century. These 1975
mosaics were integrated into the floor layout during
the reconstruction of the cathedral, In 2011, a Crypt AD
museum was opened beneath the
cathedral,showcasing the stratified layers of the older

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