Antelias
Encyclopedia
Antelias(Armenian:Անթիլիաս) is a town
in Lebanon
. It is located around 5 km to the north of Beirut
. Its inhabitants are mainly Christians and include Armenians
(mostly Apostolic Christians
), Maronites
, Greek Catholics and Greek Orthodox .
Antelias is the seat of the Catholicos of Cilicia of the Armenian Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia.
It also includes other important religious buildings such as the St-Elie Maronite convent
with its two churches and the St. Mikhael Greek Orthodox church.
.
Until the early nineties of the last century, the coastal plain of Antelias mostly consisted of open areas planted with orange and banana trees. Very few houses could be seen in the coastal plain. The strips along the Antelias river also used to be planted with orange trees.
Due to the vast urbanization
since the second half of the last century, most green areas have been removed and replaced by residential and commercial buildings, thus creating a serious environmental impact on the area. Very few if any such green areas still exist.
regions. The Matn is one of the most prosperous regions of Lebanon, including a number of factories, commercial malls and important schools.
Antelias is situated between Beirut and the city of Jounieh
and its coastal highway witnesses a daily rush of traffic. As previously stated, Antelias is the gateway to Bikfaya
, Dhour el Chweir, Baskinta
and Aintoura
, all renowned summer resorts and the Antelias-Bikfaya road is well known to play that linkage role.
Antelias is the home to a large Marina and beach front that attracts people from neighbouring and even distant localities. Garden Tower was the first hotel built in Antelias area, in the immediate vicinity of the Catholicosate of Cilicia.
The Cultural Movement by itself is an organization headquartered in Antelias and it holds periodic events such as political discussions, book reviews, theatrical plays and the like.
Antelias is also the home of the Rahbani Brothers
who have given so much to the World Music Heritage. Fairouz is a worldwide icon in this sense and is currently living in Antelias, the city that has inspired the Rahbanis for so many years.
where the region's oldest remains of a human being have been found: a 30,000 years old man near the caves of Ksar Akil. Those caves are also well coveted by known speleologists who have explored their passage ways. Antelias cave
was also located 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) east of of the town until it was completely destroyed by dynamite
in 1964. Discoveries from Antelias are housed at the Museum of Lebanese Prehistory
.
Antelias is also the site of the St-Elie Church, built in 1895.
and Druze
communities were the main parties in that treaty. The treaty did not however prevent a fierce war between the two parties in 1860 which led to tens of thousands of victims.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
. It is located around 5 km to the north of Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
. Its inhabitants are mainly Christians and include Armenians
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
(mostly Apostolic Christians
Armenian Apostolic Church
The Armenian Apostolic Church is the world's oldest National Church, is part of Oriental Orthodoxy, and is one of the most ancient Christian communities. Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion in 301 AD, in establishing this church...
), Maronites
Maronites
Maronites , is an ethnoreligious group in the Middle East that have been historically tied with Lebanon. They derive their name from the Syriac saint Mar Maron whose followers moved to Mount Lebanon from northern Syria establishing the Maronite Church....
, Greek Catholics and Greek Orthodox .
Antelias is the seat of the Catholicos of Cilicia of the Armenian Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia.
It also includes other important religious buildings such as the St-Elie Maronite convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
with its two churches and the St. Mikhael Greek Orthodox church.
Etymology
The name is originally Greek, ἀντήλιος—from ἀντί(anti) "contra" and ἥλιος (helios) "sun" --, meaning "facing the sun".Geography
Antelias is composed of a coastal fertile plain and a hilly region more to the east. There is also a narrower plain on the sides of the Antelias river, which originates from a nearby source (Fawar) and runs east west to discharge in the Mediterranean SeaMediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
.
Until the early nineties of the last century, the coastal plain of Antelias mostly consisted of open areas planted with orange and banana trees. Very few houses could be seen in the coastal plain. The strips along the Antelias river also used to be planted with orange trees.
Due to the vast urbanization
Urbanization
Urbanization, urbanisation or urban drift is the physical growth of urban areas as a result of global change. The United Nations projected that half of the world's population would live in urban areas at the end of 2008....
since the second half of the last century, most green areas have been removed and replaced by residential and commercial buildings, thus creating a serious environmental impact on the area. Very few if any such green areas still exist.
Strategic Position
Antelias is considered the gate to the upper MatnMatn District
Matn , sometimes spelled Metn, is a district in the Mount Lebanon Governorate of Lebanon, east of the Lebanon's capital Beirut...
regions. The Matn is one of the most prosperous regions of Lebanon, including a number of factories, commercial malls and important schools.
Antelias is situated between Beirut and the city of Jounieh
Jounieh
Jounieh is a Mediterranean coastal city about 16 kilometers north of Beirut, Lebanon. Jounieh is known for its seaside resorts, pubs, restaurants and nightclubs, as well as its old stone souk, ferry, and cablecar , which takes passengers up the mountain to the shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in...
and its coastal highway witnesses a daily rush of traffic. As previously stated, Antelias is the gateway to Bikfaya
Bikfaya
Bikfaya is a town in the Matn District region of Mount Lebanon. Its stone houses with red-tiled roofs resting amidst pine and oak forests make Bikfaya one of the most sought-after suburbs of Beirut and one of Lebanon's most popular summer resorts.-Culture:...
, Dhour el Chweir, Baskinta
Baskinta
Baskinta is a Lebanese village situated at an altitude of 1300 meters above sea level. It is renowned for its natural beauty and moderate climate. It is the birth place of Mikhail Naime....
and Aintoura
Aintoura
Antoura is a town in the Mount Lebanon Governorate.-History:The towns and the University was the scene of an "ethnic cleansing" event when the Ottoman Turkish authorities under direct instructions from Jamal Pasha followed a policy of "Turkification" that affected over 1300 Armenian and Kurdish...
, all renowned summer resorts and the Antelias-Bikfaya road is well known to play that linkage role.
Touristic Interest
Cultural Interest
Antelias features an annual event of Book Fair sponsored by the Antelias Cultural Movement.The Cultural Movement by itself is an organization headquartered in Antelias and it holds periodic events such as political discussions, book reviews, theatrical plays and the like.
Antelias is also the home of the Rahbani Brothers
Rahbani brothers
The Rahbani Brothers , Assi Rahbani and Mansour Rahbani , were Lebanese composers, musicians, songwriters, authors, playwrights/dramatists, philosophers, and poets...
who have given so much to the World Music Heritage. Fairouz is a worldwide icon in this sense and is currently living in Antelias, the city that has inspired the Rahbanis for so many years.
Archaeological Interest
Antelias is home to the site of Ksar AkilKsar Akil
Ksar Akil is an archeological site 10 km northeast of Beirut in Lebanon. It is located about west of Antelias spring on the north bank of the northern tributary of the Wadi Antelias. It is a large rock shelter below a steep limestone cliff....
where the region's oldest remains of a human being have been found: a 30,000 years old man near the caves of Ksar Akil. Those caves are also well coveted by known speleologists who have explored their passage ways. Antelias cave
Antelias cave
Antelias Cave was a large cave located east of Antelias, northeast of Beirut close to the wadi of Ksar Akil.It was discovered by Heidenborg in 1833. Godefroy Zumoffen made an excavation in 1893, finding an Aurignacian industry amongst large quantities of bones and flints...
was also located 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) east of of the town until it was completely destroyed by dynamite
Dynamite
Dynamite is an explosive material based on nitroglycerin, initially using diatomaceous earth , or another absorbent substance such as powdered shells, clay, sawdust, or wood pulp. Dynamites using organic materials such as sawdust are less stable and such use has been generally discontinued...
in 1964. Discoveries from Antelias are housed at the Museum of Lebanese Prehistory
Museum of Lebanese Prehistory
The Museum of Lebanese Prehistory is a museum of prehistory and archaeology in Beirut, Lebanon.-History:...
.
Antelias is also the site of the St-Elie Church, built in 1895.
Historical Interest
Antelias (The St Elie Convent in particular) was the venue for the signature of a historical treaty (In Arabic: عامية أنطلياس Ammiyat Antelias) between several communities in Lebanon to unite against the oppression of the Ottoman occupation and their allies in the late 19th century, precisely in 1840. The ChristianChristian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
and Druze
Druze
The Druze are an esoteric, monotheistic religious community, found primarily in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan, which emerged during the 11th century from Ismailism. The Druze have an eclectic set of beliefs that incorporate several elements from Abrahamic religions, Gnosticism, Neoplatonism...
communities were the main parties in that treaty. The treaty did not however prevent a fierce war between the two parties in 1860 which led to tens of thousands of victims.