A giant rosary stretching across a hillside in eastern Lebanon is drawing pilgrims and visitors to Deir El Ahmar, where one of the world’s largest walkable rosaries has taken shape.
The Giant Rosary extends about 620 meters (2,034 feet) across the hills overlooking the Bekaa Valley. It features 59 oversized prayer stations leading to a towering Cross of the Resurrection, allowing visitors to experience the rosary by walking from bead to bead instead of holding it in their hands.
The landmark has become one of Lebanon’s newest pilgrimage destinations. It combines prayer, religious education and panoramic views of the Bekaa Valley. Open-air Eucharistic celebrations are held throughout the year, and organizers say the site welcomes people from different faiths who come for worship, reflection or curiosity.
A decades-long vision becomes reality
The project traces its origins to the late 20th century, when monks of the Lebanese Maronite Order began searching for land to establish a religious center. Although plans to acquire the site in 2003 were delayed, the vision continued to evolve.
It gained new momentum in 2006 after a young Lebanese pilgrim returned from Medjugorje with the idea of creating a pilgrimage route linking the villages of Bechwat and Deir El Ahmar. The Lebanese Maronite Order officially launched the project in 2008.
The creators, including the man whose spiritual experience inspired the project, have chosen to remain anonymous so the focus remains on the site itself.
A pilgrimage route built around the Gospels
The completed rosary includes 59 large prayer stations, depictions of the Stations of the Cross, scenes from the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles, and a Cross of the Resurrection containing an educational space where visitors can learn about the rosary’s significance in Christian faith.
A priest involved in the project said each bead represents the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries, guiding pilgrims through key moments in the life of Jesus Christ. A monastery remains under construction as part of the wider religious complex.
Donations support the massive undertaking
The project is funded largely through donations, with support from the Lebanese Maronite Order and a nonprofit association. A priest involved in the project estimated that the concrete alone cost more than $13 million, reflecting the scale of the undertaking.
Beyond its architecture, the Giant Rosary serves as a place of daily worship. Open-air Eucharistic celebrations are held throughout the year, and the priest said Christians and Muslims alike visit the site, sharing the space with mutual respect.
A new chapter in Lebanon’s Marian tradition
The Giant Rosary overlooks the Shrine of Our Lady of Bechwat, one of Lebanon’s best-known Marian pilgrimage sites. For generations, worshippers have traveled there seeking healing, protection and spiritual comfort.
According to a priest involved in the project, devotion to the Virgin Mary in the region dates back centuries and remains central to the area’s religious identity. He also referred to local accounts of reported Marian apparitions during Lebanon’s civil war.
While those claims have not been independently verified, they remain an important part of the area’s religious tradition.
News of the Giant Rosary has spread beyond Lebanon, attracting pilgrims and tourists from around the world. Rising above the Bekaa Valley, the landmark adds a new chapter to Lebanon’s long tradition of mountain shrines while creating a distinctive destination for prayer, pilgrimage and reflection.
As St. John Paul II once wrote, “The Rosary is a storehouse of countless blessings. To pray the Rosary is to hand over our burdens to the merciful hearts of Christ and His Mother.”
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