Church, Mosque stand next to each other in Beirut

The new bell tower of the 19th century Saint George Cathedral is Beirut’s tallest at 72m (236ft) – the same height as the four minarets of the Mohammad al-Amin mosque that has dominated the city skyline since it was built over a decade ago.

Hawzah News Agency- Both the church and mosque are prominent features of the Beirut city center that is still being rebuilt from the civil war, and are located near the frontline that divided Christian east Beirut from Muslim west Beirut during the conflict.

Archbishop Paul Matar said the idea of building a bell tower at Saint George Cathedral was a dream since its construction in 1894. It was originally supposed to be 75m high, the same size as the tower at Rome’s Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore that inspired the cathedral’s design.

But instead, Matar said he shaved 3m off the design in what he described as a message of coexistence.

“When the mosque was built we were happy there would be a mosque and a church near each other. This is the slogan of Lebanon,” he said in an interview at his office in Beirut. “So I wanted the tower’s height to be at the same height as the mosque, so there is solidarity and harmony,” he said.

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