Stella Maris Carmelite Monastery, Haifa

This afternoon we paid a visit to the church of the Carmelite Monastery.

The monastery was constructed in the 19th century on the slopes of Mount Carmel. The church is beautifully decorated with brightly coloured and patterned Italian marble. The colourful paintings on the dome depict episodes from the Old Testament. The artist was Luigi Poggi who produced them during the period 1924-1928. One of the dramatic images depicted features Elijah being swept up in a chariot of fire.

Under the altar is a cave where the Old Testament prophet Elijah is believed to have lived for some time. At the base of the mountain, not far from the church, there is another cave known as Elijah's Cave which is a sacred place for Jews, Muslims and Christians.

It is interesting to note that an earlier monastery complex on this site served as a hospital for Naploeon's soldiers during his unsuccessful siege of Akko in 1799. There is a small pyramid structure at the front of the church which was built as a memorial to the many abandoned French soldiers who were slain by the Turks after Napoleon retreated.