Aitanite/ Aitaneet (عيتنيت) is a village in

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...

, in the West

Beqaa Beqaa ( ar, بقاع, link=no, ''Biqā‘'') can refer to two places in Lebanon: * Beqaa Governorate, one of six major subdivisions of Lebanon * Beqaa Valley, a valley in eastern Lebanon and its most important farming region See also

*Kasbeel ...

region. Aitanit is located in the southern region of Lebanon, particularly the Beqaa Valley. Aitanit is also located about 1070 meters above sea level and is currently on the edge of a mountain. Below the mountain and the village is Lake Quaroun (

Litani river The Litani River ( ar, نهر الليطاني, Nahr al-Līṭānī), the classical Leontes ( grc-gre, Λέοντες, Léontes, lions), is an important water resource in southern Lebanon. The river rises in the fertile Beqaa Valley, west of B ...

). In addition, the villages overlooks the village

Qaraoun Qaraoun is a Lebanon, Lebanese village, 85 km from Beirut, known for its Lake Qaraoun in the Beqaa Valley formed by the El Wauroun Dam built in 1959. It is an ecologically fragile zone in the Western Beqaa District. The village lies about 80 ...

, which is just across the lake. The whole region around the village are farmlands and pastures filled with grape, olive trees, and many other fruit plants.

History

In 1838, Eli Smith noted Aithenit '' as a village on the West side of the Beqaa Valley, next to '' Bab Mari'a''.Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, 2nd appendix, p
141
/ref> Aitanit has approximately 880 residents. In the municipal Lebanese elections of 2004, its accounted 3,263 registered voters of which 1,784 actual voters. If the total number of Aitanite citizens who have emigrated were included the figure would be nearer to 20,000. Aitanite is a popular summer destination for many Lebanese living abroad whose families originated from this area. Many former Aitaneet families live in

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

, Ottawa, and

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...

. Many people return in the summer to visit friends and family members. Currently, many of the townspeople are elderly or children because other locals reside in the capital region of

Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...

, or elsewhere for job/business opportunities. Aitanit has two churches serving the village, one for the Maronites and the other is Melkite Catholic. The village is predominantly Catholic but is surrounded by the neighboring Muslim town of

Machghara Machghara ( ar, مشغرة), also spelled Mashghara, is a town in the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon, situated in the Western Beqaa District and south of the Beqaa Governorate. It lies just to the northwest of Sohmor and southwest of Lake Qaraoun, south ...

and Christian villages of

Bab Mareh Bab Mareaa ( ar, باب مارع), is a village located in the Western Beqaa District of the Beqaa Governorate in Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, ...

Saghbine Saghbine ( ar, صغبين), is a village located in the Western Beqaa District of the Beqaa Governorate in Lebanon. History In 1838, Eli Smith noted it as Sughbin''; a Maronite and Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Rom ...

, and

Ain Zebde Ain Zebdeh ( ar, عين زبدة), is a village located in the Western Beqaa District of the Beqaa Governorate in Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, ...

Aitanit Aitanite/ Aitaneet (عيتنيت) is a village in Lebanon, in the West Beqaa region. Aitanit is located in the southern region of Lebanon, particularly the Beqaa Valley. Aitanit is also located about 1070 meters above sea level and is currently ...

has one school taught by the nuns of the village. Aitanit is about (45 km) 45 minutes from

Zahlé Zahlé ( ar, زَحْلة) is the capital and the largest city of Beqaa Governorate, Lebanon. With around 150,000 inhabitants, it is the third-largest city in Lebanon after Beirut and Tripoli and the fourth largest taking the whole urban area ...

(Capital of the Bekaa valley region) and about an hour and thirty minutes from Beirut. In the winter, Aitanit experiences cool, wet, snowy conditions (about 10/50 degrees in the day and about 1/33 or 1/34 degrees in the night) but in the summer, it experiences hot dry conditions (30/86 to 37/99 in the day and about 20/68 to 28/82 in the night). Each year, Aitanit holds a festival called Eid Al Sayde. At the festival, you can experience food cooked by the women of the town, fireworks and loud

dabke ''Dabke'' ( ar, دبكة also spelled ''dabka'', ''dubki'', ''dabkeh'', plural ''dabkaat'') is a Levantine Arab folk dance. Dabke combines circle dance and line dancing and is widely performed at weddings and other joyous occasions. The line f ...

music. Dabke is a traditional Lebanese dance.

Climate

References

Bibliography

External links

Aaytanit
Localiban
aitanitmunicipality.com
for Photos and Details * https://web.archive.org/web/20110605235502/http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/a/b/o/David-J-Abood/BOOK-0001/0000-0001.html * http://assadaboodfoundation.org/index.html * https://web.archive.org/web/20120301192108/http://www.genealogy.com/genealogy/users/m/a/n/Jomana-F-Mansour/index.html {{Western Beqaa District Populated places in Western Beqaa District