At the highest peak of Mount Carmel, at 480 m above sea level, a location known as “Keren Carmel” is the site of the Carmelite monastery. The monastery is named after the prophet Elijah, and is known also by the name Muhraqa. According to the Carmelite tradition, this is where Elijah the prophet challenged the profits of the Baal.
The monastery was built in 1883 by the Carmelites, an early Catholic order which was established on Mount Carmel in the 12th century, during the Crusader period. The name of the order refers to the mountain where, according to Christian tradition, Elijah --the order’s Patron Saint-- lived and worked. Thus, the monastery is named after Elijah. In Arabic, it is called Dir el Muhraqa, meaning the Monastery of Fire, since according to the Biblical story Elijah invoked the heavenly fire that came down and consumed his offering, thus proving that the Baal was a false god.
Next to the monastery there is a sculpture of the prophet Elijah, placed there in 1964 to replace the original sculpture, which was destroyed in 1948. Fromthe roof of the monastery, which is accessible to the public,there is a breathtaking view of the Jezreel Valley and the Gilboa and Galilee Mountains. A hiking path descends into the valley through a grove abundant with oaks, strawberry trees and bay laurels.