The valley of Nahr Brahim, formerly called the valley of Adonis, is one of those exceptional places in Lebanon with a rich history. Adonis, god of love and beauty, was said to have been killed by a boar sent by Ares, god of war near a river. Adonis’ blood flowed into the water of the river, and took on a reddish color.
The Valley itself was traversed during Antiquity of various temples which marked as many stages during the festivals of Adonis. We can notably cite the temple of Mechnaqa, Yanouh and finally that of Ishtar, Astarte for the Phoenicians, Venus for the Romans or Aphrodite for the Greeks and located at the very sources of the river, in Afqa, place of his supposed birth.
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On the other side of the valley, there is also a religious center dedicated to Adonis, with his tomb and a Roman temple transformed in Byzantine times into a church. This is the Ghineh site.
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