Zweitina or Zuwaytini is a small village located in Western Syria

Syria

Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....

 close to the Lebanese

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...

 borders and administratively belonging to the Governorate

Governorate

A governorate is an administrative division of a country. It is headed by a governor. As English-speaking nations tend to call regions administered by governors either states, provinces, or colonies, the term governorate is often used in translation from non-English-speaking administrations.The...

 of Homs

Homs

Homs , previously known as Emesa , is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is above sea level and is located north of Damascus...

. Its location in the midst of a coniferous mountain makes it a popular and favored summer destination. Its altitude

Altitude

Altitude or height is defined based on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The reference datum also often varies according to the context...

 ranges between 400 and 450 meters. Zweitina is perhaps most famous for its Al-Fawwar spring

Al-Fawwar spring

Al-Fawwar spring is a spring found in northern Syria in a town called Zweitina, which is administratively belonging to the Homs Governorate.It is one of the most important landmarks in the town because of its religious significance, as it is located near the Saint George Monastery...

, which is named so because it flows sporadically. Zweitina is home to the historic Saint George Monastery, one of the oldest in Syria. It is also very close to the Crac des Chevaliers, or Qal`at al-Ḥiṣn.

Etymology

The name Zweitina is derived from the word zeitoun which is Arabic for olive. Zweitina is Arabic for a single olive fruit. Olive trees dominate the forests of Zweitina and are considered the most important crops in the village which produces large amounts of olive product, thus justifying the name.
Others argue that the name was derived from the Aramaic language and means "the land where silkworms grow" and refers to the silkworms which live and grow on berry trees found in the village's forests.

Demographics & people

Due to changing weather conditions, Zweitina has a changing population, reaching approximately 5,000 inhabitants in summer. It is a village where Christianity

Christianity

Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...

 dominates. Almost 75% of the original population live outside the village. Pennsylvania, USA, which has the highest number of immigrants from the village, is home to approximately 500 families. Zweitina is also very close to the neighboring village of Marmarita

Marmarita

Marmarita is a village located in Western Syria close to the governorate of Tartus but administratively belonging to the governorate of Homs since 1953. It was previously part of the Latakia Governorate. Marmarita is probably the largest village in the Wadi Al-Nasarah region of Homs. It is also a...

, another Christian village.