Stella Maris Monastery

Discalced Carmelite Order P.O.Box 9000 31-090 Haifa – Israel
10 Yokheved Street Haifa Haifa District IL

The Stella Maris Church is a beautiful structure, its interior walls covered with white marble panels so bright and well placed, that visitors sometimes think the walls have been painted.

The dome, decorated by the Maltese Carmelite Luigi Poggi (1924-1928), depicts episodes from the Bible, the most distinct being the scene of Prophet Elijah ascending to Heaven in a chariot of fire. The statue of the Virgin Mary placed at the center of the main altar, standing on a pedestal carved from a cedar of Lebanon, is devoutly venerated by the local Christians.

Underneath the altar, one can find Elijah’s cave where according to the Old Testament, the Prophet lived for some time. Inside the cave, there is an altar carved in the rock, with a small statue of the Prophet.