Its origins date back to the 13th century, serving as a residence for monks and, at one point, functioning as the headquarters of the Maronite Patriarchate.

[1] The monastery features a notable church, housing for nuns and monks, and an expansive cave known as the Grotto of Saint Anthony.

Historians and scholars suppose that this Monastery was first built and began to be occupied by hermits at the beginning of the fourth century.

It was several times looted, set on fire and razed to the ground, but there still remain vestiges dating back to the seventh century.

In 1584, the first printing press of the Middle East was installed in this monastery, under the leadership of patriarch Yuhanna Makhlouf.