ŠUWAJR. – Lebanese village near which stands the monastery of S. Giovanni, cradle and still mother house Basilian (v.) Melkite Šuwajriti monks. It was founded in 1710. In recent years, a new section and a small seminary have been added.
Altogether there are two sanctuaries: the church of S. Giovanni Battista, which predates the convent and contains some very ancient icons and others brought there around 1710; and the church of S. Nicola (1718), renowned for its iconostasis decorated with images carved in wood, probably the work of the monks. The monastery still preserves the first printing press in Lebanon, founded by the hierodeacon ʿAbdallāh Zāhir (1680–1748), who rendered incalculable services to the Church for 150 years.
BIBL.: C. Karalevsky, Histoire des patriarchats melkites, III. Rome 1911, V. indice. Antonio Wuyts