The Jeita Grotto is a compound two separate but interconnected karstic limestone caves spanning an overall length of nearly 9 kilometers. The caves are situated in the Nahr al-Kalb valley within the locality of Jeita, 18 kilometers north of the Lebanese capital Beirut. Though inhabited in prehistoric times, the lower cave was not rediscovered until 1836 by Reverend William Thomson; it can only be visited by boat since it channels an underground river that provides fresh drinking water to more than a million Lebanese.
In 1958, Lebanese speleologists discovered the upper galleries 60 meters above the lower cave which have been accommodated with an access tunnel and a series of walkways to enable tourist safe access without disturbing the natural landscape. The upper galleries house the world's largest stalactite. The galleries are composed of a series of chambers the largest of which peaks at a height of 120 meters.
Aside from being a Lebanese national symbol and a top tourist destination, the Jeita grotto plays an important social, economic and cultural role and is a finalist in the New 7 Wonders of Nature competition.
Description
The Jeita caves are solutional karst caves which have formed over millions of years due to the dissolution of limestone. The limestone is dissolved by carbonic acid charged rain water and groundwater; when the limestone, which is originally water proof, contains cracks produced by tectonic forces the water oozes into the rock and starts to widen the cracks and solute caves inside the layers. Jeita is the longest cave complex in the Middle East; it sits at 300 meters above sea level and has a height difference of 305 meters. Geologically, the caves provide a tunnel or escape route for the underground river, which is the principal source of Nahr al-Kalb. The Jeita grotto is the longest explored cave in Lebanon.
Upper cave
The Jeita upper cave has an overall length of 2,130 meters of which only 750 meters are accessible to visitors via a specially conceived walkway; access to the remainder of the cave was restricted to prevent ecological damage which may occur due to the flocking tourists. The upper cave contains a great concentration of a variety of crystallized formations such as stalactites, stalagmites, columns, mushrooms, ponds, curtains and draperies. The upper gallery is famous for its formations, lit by an effective lighting system. It is entered through a 117 meters long concrete tunnel. The part accessible by visitors has three huge chambers. The first is called White Chamber, the second Red Chamber, due to the color of the formations. White dripstones are pure calcite without defilement, the red color is given by iron oxide (rust) in small amounts. In Lebanon iron oxide has a red color instead of the brown beige color which is common in northern countries. The reason is a different chemical reaction caused by the high temperature which produces a different kind of iron oxide. The White Chamber is medium sized, but has the most impressive formations of the cave. The Red Chamber is up to 106 meters high, and 30 meters to 50 meters wide. The third chamber is the biggest of all three chambers and has a height of more than 120 meters. The longest stalactite in the world is located in Jeita's White Chamber; it measures 8.2 meters long.
Lower cave
The lower gallery which has an overall length of 6,200 meters is located 60 meters below the upper gallery. It is traversed by a smooth underwater river and a lake (the "Dark Lake"). The river is broken up by several small cataracts and rapids. The lower cave's "Thompson's Cavern", is a massive hall with impressive speleothems such as the Eagle Obelisk stalagmite. Other halls in the lower gallery include the Pantheon, Grand Chaos and Shangri-la. Visitors are transported in the lower gallery by electric boats for a distance of 500 meters. In winter the lower level is closed, when the water level is too high
Awards
In 2002, then French President Jacques Chirac, the United Nations World Tourism Organization and the World Bank accorded the top Sustainable Development in Tourism prize to MAPAS (the company that manages the site) at a summit dubbed “New Ties between Tourism and Culture” in Geneva.
In December 2003, on behalf of the Beirut-based private company MAPAS, Jeita received a prestigious award from the fifth Tourism Summits in Chamonix, France. "Les sommets du tourisme" recognized MAPAS’ efforts in restoring Lebanon’s important touristic sites.
The Jeita Grotto is a candidate for the New 7 Wonders of Nature competition. It was selected as one of 28 finalists and is the only cave to be selected among the nominees. The New7Wonders Foundation is to announce the new wonders of nature in 2011.
Other awards and certificates include:
* 2000 Certificate of Recognition from "Sukleen"-Lebanon for its sorting and recycling campaign.
* 2000 Appreciation from the Arab Musical Association".
* 1998 "Best Tourism Project" from the Lebanese Ministry of Tourism.
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