Jeita Grotto – Lebanon

The Jeita Gratto is a compound two separate but interconnected karstic limestone caves spanning of nearly 9 kilometeres. The caves are situated in the Nahr al –Kalb valley within locality of Jeita, 18 kilometers nort of the Lebanese capital Beitrut. Though inhabited in prehistoric times, the lower cave was not rediscovered until 1836 by William Thomson, it can only be visited by boat since it channels an underground river that provides fresh drinking water more than million Lebanese.

World’s largest stalactite

In 1958, Lebanese Speleologist discovered the upper galleries 60 meters (200 ft) above the lower cave which have been accommodated with an access tunnel and a series of walkways to enable tourist safe access without disrobing the natural landscape. The upper galleries house the world’s largest stalactite, they are composed of series of chambers the the largest of which peaks at a height of 120 meters (390 ft).
Aside from being a Lebanese national symbol and top tourist destination, Jeita Grotto plays an important social, economic and cultural role and is a finalist in the New 7 wonders of Nature competition. Jeita Grotto is a set of interconnected limestone caves located in Lebanon. A river runs through the two caves referred to as the lower cave and the upper galleries. The Jeita Grotto is the longest cave complex in the Middle East with a height difference of 305 meters (1,000 feet). The Jeita Grotto sits at 300 meters (980 feet) above sea level. Explorers have made their way 6,910 meters (22,700 feet ) from the front entry way of the lower grotto to the deepest end of the underground river. And about 2,130 meters (7,000 feet ) of the upper galleries.
The name of the cave changed several times since its discovery. Initially referred to as the Grottoes of Nahr al-Kalb, it was subsequently known as Djaita, Jehita and finally Jeita. Naher el Kalb is the name of the river that runs through the grottoes, while Jeita, meaning “roaring water” in Aramaic, is the town in which the cave’s entrance is located. The transition from Gottoes of Nahar al-Kalb to Jeita Grottoes occurred in 1927 as newspapers widely used the latter name. In 1961, Jeita became a national symbol when Lebanse authorities issued a stamp featuring the lower cavern to promate national tourisum.

Geology

The Jeita grotto is located within the Lower_Middle Jurassic strata of Keserouane which has a stratigrapic thickness of 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) and consist of dolostone and micritic limestone. The Keserouane formation was exposed to air by a local uplift during the Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous. The Keserouane strata became karstified after its aerial exposure and then was buried during the Cretaceous. In the Neogene, upon the final uplift of Mount Lebanon, this early karstification phase was reactivated.