Maronite Cathedral of Saint George, Beirut

Saint George Maronite Cathedral (Arabic: كاتدرائية مار جرجس للموارنة) is the cathedral of the Maronite Catholic Archeparchy of Beirut, located in downtown Beirut, Lebanon. Constructed between 1884 and 1894 under Archbishop Joseph Debs, the cathedral stands on the site of an earlier 18th-century church dedicated to Saint George. Its Neoclassical facade and interior draw inspiration from the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, featuring a basilica plan with a coffered gilded ceiling, marble and stucco walls, and a prominent altar canopy. The cathedral suffered extensive damage during the Lebanese civil war and was further affected by the 2020 Beirut explosion. It has undergone multiple restorations, including a major post-war rehabilitation completed in 1997 and reopening in 2000 by Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir. The cathedral houses the cathedra of the Archbishop of Beirut and the chair used by Pope John Paul II during his 1997 visit. In 2016, a new 72-meter campanile was inaugurated, symbolizing interfaith harmony by matching the height of nearby Al-Amin mosque minarets. Beneath the cathedral's forecourt, significant archaeological remains, including a Hellenistic structure and Roman street fragments, have been preserved.