Departing from the capital Beirut ,through Daher al Baidar main road to Zahleh and Baalbeck, the passenger, then, heads North to Deir el Ahmar, crossing about 104 km.
     Deir el Ahmar is a village located in the western mountain chain of Lebanon.
It's in the Bekaa valley and rises 1050 m above the sea's level. Its area is 42.000 000 m2

Many roads lead from Lebanon's major coastal cities to Deir El Ahmar:

1. Beirut, Baabda, Dahr el Baydar, Chtaura, Zahleh, Baalbeck, Deir el Ahmar (104km)
2. Beirut, Antelias, Bikfaya, Tarchich, Zahleh, Baalbeck, Deir el Ahmar
3. Beirut, Zouk, Faraya, Ouyoun el Simane, Deir el Ahmar (101km)
4. Beirut, Nahr Ibrahim, Afqa, Hadath Baalbeck, Deir el Ahmar
5. Beirut, Chekka, Amioun, Becharreh, Cedars, Deir el Ahmar (157km)

Some of these roads are closed by snow a few days or weeks during winter (January, February, March). The road via Dahr el Baydar is the most accessible during winter .

History:

• Roman period:

  • During the third century A.D., roman emperor Caracalla built the temple of Jupiter
• Byzantine period:
  • Saydet el Borj (Our Lady of the Tower) church built on the ruins of the temple of Jupiter
  • Qasr el Benet (The castle of the King's daughter) near Chlifa
• 7th-16th century:
  • This is the Syriac, Jacobite and Arab period
  • Temple of Jupiter became the center of the Syriac-Jacobites christians
  • Ruled by the arabs
  • Earth quakes in 1158 and 1202
• 16th-19th century period:
  • Maronites shepherds from Becharreh and Aakoura established in the region Deir el Ahmar
• 19th century period:
  • Other maronites families from Becharreh, Aakoura, Byblos and Batroun established and formed the village of Deir el Ahmar

Meaning of "Deir el Ahmar ":

There are many stories that explain the meaning of " Deir El Ahmar " or the Red Monastery.Some say that the village was famous for its' red monastery and tower, so they called it Deir el Ahmar.
Others tell a different story which says that after the baptism of the pagan tribes living in the village the  monks built a monastery on Jupiter's Temple  (a present historical ruin in the village)which the pagans used for the workship of their gods, so villagers came  every morning to the Mass.
The villagers got surprised one morning because they did not hear the Church bell toll and hurried to the monastery.They found the monks slaughtered like sheep, by the pagan tribes that fled away and came back to avenge their gods.
The people were terrified to see blood all around the place ,so they ran back shouting:
"The monastery is red...." in Arabic: " Al Deir Ahmar " the "Al" was cancelled and the village as called "Deir El Ahmar".