Dayr al-Kalb
دير الكلب
The monastery near Ma'lunaya terraced up a mountainside with water descending on it, rich in olives, pomegranates, myrtle, vines, saffron and narcissus; Yaqut counted it among the three wonders of the world. It was famed for curing the bite of a rabid dog, and its yearly feast drew Christians to keep vigil and Muslims to sightsee 1.
At a glance
- Region
- Levant & Iraq
- Review
- Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it
Overview
The Monastery of the Dog is a monastery near Ma'laniya, on the slope of a mountain down which water runs. Its cells are built one above another up the climb of the mountain. 1
Al-Umari's description
It has olives, pomegranates, myrtle, vines, saffron and much narcissus, and its monks have farms in the plain. Ya'qub counted it among the three wonders of the world, and said it has a property for healing the bite of a mad dog. It holds a festival to which Christians come to stay and Muslims come to look and enjoy themselves. 1
Sources
- Masalik al-absar fi mamalik al-amsar — al-Umari (1924 printing), p. 254
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “Dayr al-Kalb”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/building/dayr-al-kalb/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-17.