These naturally preserved mummies are the most haunting find ever made in the Qadisha. The bodies, clothing, prayer books and even braids of hair are intact, and a few are now displayed at the National Museum in Beirut. The cave itself, Asi-al Hadath, is in the cliffs above the valley floor and can be reached on a difficult marked footpath.
It is a real expedition rather than a casual outing — steep, exposed in places, and best done with a local guide who knows the route. Even without the cave, the story is worth knowing as background while you walk through the valley; it gives the gorge's reputation as a place of refuge an unsettling concreteness.