The Monastery of St. George of Koziba

The Monastery of St. George of Koziba, nestled in the lush valley of the Wadi Qelt, was founded in 420 AD by five hermits. It was built next to the cave where the prophet Elijah stopped enroute from Sinai and was fed by ravens. Numerous cave-dwelling hermits lived here in imitation of the great prophet. The monastery was abandoned after the Persians swept through the valley in the 600s and massacred 14 monks. It was restored again by the Crusaders in 1179. The present monastery was rebuilt around 1900 by the Greek Orthodox Church. The bones and skulls of the martyred monks can still be seen today in the monastery chapel.