Our Lady of Mantara is a Melkite Greek Catholic Marian shrine in Maghdouché, Lebanon, discovered on 8 September 1721 by a young shepherd. The grotto, which according to a legend dates to ancient times, was subsequently cared after by Monsignor Eftemios Saïfi, Melkite Catholic bishop of the Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Sidon. The shrine consists of a tower crowned with the statue of the Virgin and Child, a cathedral, a cemetery and a sacred cave believed to be the one where the Virgin Mary rested while she waited for Jesus while he was in Tyre and Sidon. (Women were not allowed in some cities). Since its discovery, it has been steadily visited by families particularly each year on the occasion of the feast of the Nativity of Mary on 8 September.
Many historians agree that the devotion to the Virgin Mary in Lebanon replaced the Phoenician worship of Astarte. Temples and shrines to Astarte were converted to Christian places of worship, honoring the Virgin. This is also true in Maghdouché where within the vicinity of Our Lady of Awaiting are the remains of a shrine to Astarte.
Maghdoucheh, a town located on a hill eight kilometers southeast of Saida, is believed to be the location of the cave where the Virgin Mary awaited Jesus while he was preaching in Saida. In celebration of this, the cave - known as Mantara or Point of Awaiting - was transformed into a chapel and a tall statue of Virgin Mary and The Child was added in the 1960s.
While the landmark obviously holds religious significance, the location of the statue also provides a unique panoramic view of the surrounding areas. From the north, one can see Saida and the Palestinian camp of Ain al-Helwe, while from the east it provides a good view on Jabal (Mountain) Amel.
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