Homs, Amidst official and popular attendance, the Lady of the East Monument was inaugurated in al-Hawash town, western countryside of Homs. The structure includes a huge statue of the Virgin Mary erected on top of a 60-meter-high tower, as well as a church, a souvenir department, a café, a multipurpose hall, and administration and public services offices, and parks around it. The project's sponsor and financier, Khalil Nakad, explained that the idea began to grow and become a reality in 2014. The tower was built to be earthquake-resistant and includes all types of structural protection, as 12,000 roses were planted around it to be a tourist and religious landmark in the region and Syria, he said. In turn, the project manager responsible for implementing the monument, Engineer Shafiq Darwish, pointed out that the technical study of the project began in 2014, where it faced several difficulties, but they were overcome thanks to the determination and efforts of the people of the region based on the religious symbolism of the Virgin Mary, which unites all Syrians from all walks of life. He pointed out that the aim of this project is to stimulate religious tourism and revitalize the region economically. For his part, Greek-Orthodox Metropolitan of Akkar and Wadi al-Nasara and its dependencies (Safita and Tartus) Mgr Basilius Mansour highlighted the unity of the Syrian people who share many common cultural features throughout the centuries. Source: Syrian Arab News Agency