Deir el Qalaa

The ridge at Beit Mery, eight hundred metres above the coast, held a Roman sanctuary to Baal Marqod, and the podium, column drums and carved blocks are still there, with a seventeenth-century Maronite monastery built directly against them. Below are the remains of a Byzantine church with mosaic floors and a small Roman bath complex. The site is unenclosed and the ruins run into the monastery grounds, which makes for an unusual mixture of periods in a small area.

What you actually see

• The Roman podium - the temple platform with column drums and carved blocks.
• The monastery - a seventeenth-century Maronite building against the ancient walls.
• The Byzantine mosaics - church floors below the temple terrace.
• The ridge view - Beirut and the coast eight hundred metres below.

When to go

April to November is the best. Beit Mery is noticeably cooler than the coast in summer, which is why Beirut families come up. Clear mornings give the widest view.

Honest expectations

The ruins are unfenced, unlabelled and partly overgrown. The mosaics are exposed to the weather and deteriorating. Access to parts depends on the monastery being open.

Nearby

Beirut is below to the west, and Broummana is along the same ridge.