Before describing the ancient sanctuary, let us present its holy patron, Mar Elias.

Mar is an Aramaic word; it means lord or master. It is still used by some Christian communities (e.g. the Maronites) as title for their hierarchs. St. Paul cites it at the end of his first letter to the Corinthians: "maranatha", Lord come!

Elias ( or Eleeya) is the Arabic popular name for the prophet Elijah whose fascinating story is told by the Bible (1 Kings17 & following chapters). The Koran too considers Elias as a holy man and an envoy of Allah:

• Elias was one of the righteous (Soura 6: 85)
• Elias too was one of the Envoys. He said to his people : "Will you not be God-fearing? Do you call on Baal and abandon the best of creators, Allah, your Lord and the Lord of your fathers?" (Soura 37: 123-125).