Amioun

Amioun أميون
—  City  —
amioun clock tower.jpg
Amioun Location within Lebanon
Coordinates: 34°18′0″N 35°48′0″E / 34.3°N 35.8°E / 34.3; 35.8Coordinates: 34°18′0″N 35°48′0″E / 34.3°N 35.8°E / 34.3; 35.8
Country	Lebanon
Governorate	North Lebanon Governorate
District	Koura District
Founder	Phoenicians
Government
• Mayor	Jerji Barakat (Syrian Social Nationalist Party)
Area
• Total	1,137 km2 (439 sq mi)
Elevation	298-330 m (−785 ft)
Highest elevation	330 m (1,080 ft)
Lowest elevation	298 m (978 ft)
Population (2010)
• Total	15,000
• Density	13/km2 (34/sq mi)
• Religion	100% Greek Orthodox
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code
Dialing code	+961
Website	http://www.amioun.org

Amioun in Arabic: أميون‎ and other scripts of the name, are most probably transliterated from the original Amyūn. It is the capital town of the predominantly Greek Orthodox area Koura District (i.e. χωριά, villages in Greek) in the North of Lebanon.

Name

Amioun’s name is very ancient and can be traced back to the earliest Semitic and Aramean periods. The name was actually cited in the letters of Tell el Amarna, which were sent in the 14 th century B.C. by local governors in Lebanon to their overlords, the pharaohs of Egypt. Those letters provide information on conditions in Lebanon at that time. Cited in those letters is the word “ Amia”, a name that might have been used to refer to the site of present-day Amioun. In his etymological study of the names of Lebanon’s towns and villages, Anis Freiha thinks that Amioun’s name is derived from the Semitic – Aramaic word “ Emun” , which means a fortified and invincible fort.

Demographics

Amioun has a population of around 15,000. The large majority are followers of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch. Amioun is the 2nd largest entirely Greek Orthodox city in Lebanon and the whole Middle East second to Ashrafieh, a region in East Christian Beirut. The inhabitants of the city are descendants of Phoenicians,Greeks and Ghassanids and they speak Arabic as a first language. The major political party in the city is the Syrian Social Nationalist Party. There are also supporters of the Free Patriotic Movement, Marada Movement, Lebanese Communist Party, Kataeb and Lebanese Forces. There is a large population of people from Amioun around the world.^[1][2]

Religion, education and health

Amioun has 11 Greek Orthodox churches (St. George el Dahleez, St. John al Sheer, Al Sayydeh, St. Sergios, St. Barbara, St. Domitios, St. Marina, St. Phocas, St. Simon, St. George Al-Kafer and St. Gala). There are three public schools and two private. In Koura there is the only Greek Orthodox university in the world, The University of Balamand. There is a public library and a private hospital.

Location

Amioun highway

Located in the heart of Northern Lebanon, Amioun is the administrative center of the el Koura District (the Caza of el Koura). Amioun is about 330 meters above sea level and is approximately 78 kilometers away from Beirut, Lebanon’s capital. It is about 42 kilometers away from the Cedars and 18 kilometers away from Tripoli, the center of the Province of north Lebanon (Muhafazat Ash-Shamal).

Situated between the sea and the mountains, on a chain of beautiful hills that stretch from east to west, Amioun has a distinctive location and a breathtaking view. Surrounding the hills on which Amioun is situated are olive fields in the north and vineyards, almond orchards, and olive trees in the south. Paved roads, including the Beirut-Cedars main highway, run through those hills. Long ago, when the houses that stretched on those hills were few, Amioun was called “the town of beautiful hills”. Amioun can be reached via the highway that passes through Byblos, Batroun, Chekka, and Kfarhazir. It can also be reached from Tripoli by way of Bahsas, Dahr El Ain, Aaba, and Bishmizzine.

History

The 28 man-made crypts in the cliff

Amioun is a very old town whose history can be traced back to the earliest periods. In the past years, a number of French and German orientalists – foremost of whom was the Frenchman Ernest Renan – visited it, studied its archaeological sites, and wrote a lot about them. Amioun’s history goes back to the middle of the eolithic period. The eolithic groups that had been in this region before the arrival of the ancient Semitic peoples (around 4000 B.C. or even earlier) continued to live there during the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods. This is supported by the existence of small caves in the rocky hill of Amioun, that is, in the ancient part of the town. It is in this part of Amioun that we have two of the oldest archaeological sites in the town : the cavities of the “Sheer” (the Arabic word for cliff), above which St John’s church stands, and the Cathedral of St George “ el Dahleez” ( the Arabic word for tunnel).

Amioun has been inhabited since the earliest periods. In his book “The Monuments of Lebanon”, Father Lamens mentions a number of towns, one of which is “Amia” (p.76). According to Condor, this town of “Amia” is none other than present-day Amioun. If Condor’s claim is true, Amioun may be considered as the oldest town in the interior of Lebanon. ( See Condor, the Tell el Amarna Tablets, 2nd ed., London, 1894).

Amioun’s past has left its mark on different historical periods, whether ancient, medieval, or modern. Some of its monuments can be traced back to a period when different pagan religions prevailed. With the advent of Christianity, the pagan temples in Amioun were transformed into churches whose bells signalled the triumph of monotheism.

Saint John "al-sheer" church (the Cliff)

Landmarks

• Saint George Cathedral: erected over a former temple at the highest populated spot of the town, as mentioned in a circular written by instructor of history in the official Lebanese schools Choukrallah Al-Nabbout. (Fig. 1)
• Saint John "al-sheer" church: Elevated on a rocky cliff over a number of vaults in the southeastern facade of the cliff. A Triple scene of a Crusaders church (1099–1100) panoramic over the 28 man-made crypts in the facade whose carbon-dating suggests 15000–24000 years of age.
• The town of Amioun, is known being a site for the Battle of Amioun, a historical clash in 694 A.D. between the Byzantine troops, under the leadership of Murik and Murikian, and some followers of the Monothelite doctrine, as mentioned in the article below by Chedid Al-Azar.

During the 20-th century, major changes touched local population, which was based on agriculture, mainly olive, olive oil and soap production, and modify it into the highest educated society in Lebanon^{[citation needed]}. This resulted in a huge percentage, almost 30%, of highly educated people, mainly in the medical domain. Now hundreds of physicians display vital positions in the motherland and abroad.

Notable residents

• Jacobo Majluta Azar, former President of the Dominican Republic
• Abdallah Saadeh, former leader of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party
• Salim Saade, member of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party and former member of the Lebanese Parliament
• Nassim Taleb, New York author of "The Black Swan"
• Jacques Nasser
• Dr. George N. Atiyeh

Lebanese philosopher Nassim Nicholas Taleb describes his attachment to his hometown in the following verses:

Location

Known as Ammiya in the second millennium B.C., the modern town of Amyoun lies on an important archaeological tell. Of major interest are the churches of Mar Jurius (St. George), built on the cellar of a Roman temple, and Mar Fauqa, or St. Phocas, built by local architects during the Crusader period. The entire interior of St.Phocas is covered with Byzantine-style wall paintings of the 12th and 13th centuries. A third church is the modern red-roofed Mar Youhanna (St. John) perched on a rocky cliff with tomb openings on its southeastern facade.^[4] Near the old town government building, or "Serail," is the Chapel of Marina, an ancient burial vault converted into a chapel.^[4]

Families

• Abi Chahine (Abou Chahine)
• Abi Saleh (Abou Saleh)
• Abi Rustom (Abou Roustom)
• Al Azar (El Azar)
• Andraos
• Atiyeh (Atieh - Atiah)
• Azar
• Badawi (Badwi)
• Barakat
• Borgi (Bourgi)
• Chammas
• Daaboul
• Darazi
• Dergham
• Dib (Deeb)
• Elias
• Faraj
• Faysal
• Ghantous
• Haidar (Haydar)
• Hajj Obeid
• Hawi
• Jabbour
• Kakos (Al Roumi)
• Karam
• Khoury
• Khouzami
• Makhlouta
• Mansour
• Meani (Maani)
• Meckdad (Mokdad)
• Mina
• Mnayyar
• Nabbout
• Naser (Nasr)
• Nassar
• Nassif
• Nouhaily
• Obeid
• Ojaimi(Ojaimy)
• Ramadi (Ramady)
• Rizk
• Saade (Saadeh)
• Saghir (El Saghir)
• Salem
• Saliba
• Sassine
• Sayegh
• Seoud
• Saifan (Saiifan)
• Saoud
• Sawaya
• Semaan
• Smaili (Smayli)
• Srour
• Taleb
• Touma
• Wehbe
• Yazbeck
• Yazigi
• Younes
• Zahlout
• Zaidan
• Zain

(and more ...)

Images

• 

  Old House

• 

  Besta

• 

  Old window

• 

  Olive tree

• 

  Church bell

• 

  Church stone

• 

  Old stairs

• 

  Kharroube

• 

  Al Shir fireworks

• 

  Jeren kebbeh

• 

  Amioun's school

• 

  Church bell

• 

  St. Domitios

• 

  St. Gala

• 

  St. Gala

• 

  St. George Cathedral

• 

  St. George Cathedral

• 

  St. George Cathedral

• 

  St. George Al-Kafer

• 

  St. Marina

• 

  St. Marina

• 

  St. Marina

• 

  Al Sayydeh

• 

  St. Focas

• 

  St. Sergios

• 

  St. Sergios

• 

  St. Sergios

• 

  St. Simon

.

Churches and Monasteries

There are 11 places of Christian worship in Amioun, including churches and monasteries.

Cathedrals

• Cathedral of Saint George el Dahleez (Greek Orthodox)

Churches

• Church of Saint John al Sheer (Greek Orthodox)
• Church of Al Sayydeh(Our Lady) (Greek Orthodox)
• Church of Saint Sergios (Greek Orthodox)
• Church of Saint Barbara (Greek Orthodox)
• Church of Saint Domitios (Greek Orthodox)
• Church of Saint Marina (Greek Orthodox)
• Church of Saint Phocas (Greek Orthodox)
• Church of Saint Gala(Our Lady) (Greek Orthodox)
• Church of Saint Simon (Greek Orthodox)

Monasteries

• Monastery of Saint George Al-Kafer (Greek Orthodox)

Trivia

• Politically, the inhabitants of Amioun are mostly aligned with the Syrian Social Nationalist Party.
• Amioun is the biggest Greek Orthodox settlement in the entire Lebanon.

International relations

Twin towns – Sister cities

Amioun is twinned with:

Additional information

External links

Additional pictures:

• http://www.fooledbyrandomness.com/amioun.htm

Additional references:

• http://www.amioun.org/ Official site

Additional geographical information:

• http://www.fallingrain.com/world/LE/3/Amioun.html

• http://www.lebweb.com/site/lebanon-amioun-42222
• http://www.lebanonatlas.com/lebanonmajorcities/North/Amioun/index.htm

See also

• List of cities in Lebanon
• Greek Orthodox Christians in Greater Syria
• University of Balamand
• Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch

References

1. ^ http://www.localiban.org/spip.php?article734
2. ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=t9LHVdWLc7gC&pg=PA510&dq=Amioun+Greek+Orthodox&cd=1#v=onepage&q=Amioun%20Greek%20Orthodox&f=false
3. ^ http://www.fooledbyrandomness.com/
4. ^ ^{a b} http://www.ikamalebanon.com/national_heritage/north_nh/north_cities_nh/amyoun.htm

v t e Koura District, North Governorate Capital: Amioun Towns and villages 1. Aaba 2. Afsdik 3. Ain Akrine 4. Ali-al-Mouran 5. Amioun 6. Anfeh 7. Badebhoun 8. Barghoun 9. Barsa 10. Bdebba 11. Batroumine 12. Bishmizzine 13. Bhabouch 14. Bishriyata 15. Bkomra 16. Bneyel 17. Bohssas 18. Btourram 19. Btouratige 20. Bkeftine 21. Bnehran 22. Bsarma 23. Btaaboura 24. Bziza 25. Charlita 26. Chira 27. Dahr-al-Ain 28. Darbechtar 29. Darchmezzine 30. Deddeh 31. Fih 32. Ijdebrine 33. Kaftoun 34. Kifraya 35. Kelbata 36. Kelhat 37. Kfaraakka 38. Kfarhata 39. Kfarhazir 40. Kaferkahel 41. Kfarsaroun 42. Kousba 43. Maziriit Toula 44. Mitrit 45. Mijdel 46. Nakhleh 47. Rachedbine 48. Ras Maska 49. Ras Osta 50. Wata Fares 51. Zakroun 52. Zakzouk

v t e Archaeological sites in Lebanon Aadloun Aaiha Aammiq Ain Harcha Akbiyeh Amioun Amlaq Qatih Anjar, Lebanon Antelias cave Ard Saouda Ard Tlaili Arqa Baalbek Batroumine Batroun Bechamoun Beirut Beit Mery Bustan Birke Byblos Dahr El Ahmar Dakoue Deir El Aachayer Deir el Ahmar Dekwaneh Douris (Baalbek) Elaea (Lebanon) Hadeth south Haret ech Cheikh Hashbai Hermel plains Iaat Jabal es Saaïdé Jbaa Jdeideh Jebel Aabeby Jeita Grotto Joub Jannine Jieh Kamid al lawz Kaukaba Kefraya Kafr Tebnit Kfar Qouq Kfarhata Khallet Michte Kouachra megalith field Ksar Akil Labweh Lake Qaraoun (Ain Jaouze) Lion Tower Majdal Anjar Mansourieh Maronite mummies Mayrouba Moukhtara Mtaileb Nabi Zair Nachcharini Neba'a Faour Niha Bekaa Plain of Zgharta Qaraoun Ras Baalbek I Ras Beirut Ras El Kelb Sands of Beirut Sidon Sin el Fil Sarepta Stone of the Pregnant Woman Tahun ben Aissa Taire Tayibe Tell Ain Nfaikh Tell Ain Saouda Tell Deir Tell el-Burak Tell Khardane Tell Jisr Tell Mureibit Tell Neba'a Litani Tell Zenoub Tell Zeitoun Temple of Bacchus Temple of Eshmun Tlail megaliths Toron Tripolis (region of Phoenicia) Tyre Necropolis Tyre, Lebanon Wadi Boura Yanta Ain W Zain Zahlé