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Antelias ( ar, أنطلياس) is a
city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
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 the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...
in the
Matn District Matn ( ar, قضاء المتن, '), sometimes spelled Metn (or preceded by the article El, as in El Matn), is a district (''qadaa'') in the Mount Lebanon Governorate of Lebanon, east of the Lebanon's capital Beirut. The district capital is Jd ...
of the
Mount Lebanon Governorate french: Gouvernorat du Mont-Liban , native_name_lang = , image_map = Administrative divisions of Lebanon 2017-08 (Numbered).png , map_caption = The governorates of Lebanon, including Mount Lebanon (in pink, label ...
. It is located around 5 km to the north 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 ...
.


Etymology

The name is originally Greek, ἀντήλιος – from ἀντί(anti) "contra" and ἥλιος (helios) "sun" – meaning "facing the sun".


Municipality

The municipality of Antelias - Naqqach is located in the Kaza of
Metn Matn ( ar, قضاء المتن, '), sometimes spelled Metn (or preceded by the article El, as in El Matn), is a district ('' qadaa'') in the Mount Lebanon Governorate of Lebanon, east of the Lebanon's capital Beirut. The district capital is ...
in
Mount Lebanon Mount Lebanon ( ar, جَبَل لُبْنَان, ''jabal lubnān'', ; syr, ܛܘܪ ܠܒ݂ܢܢ, ', , ''ṭūr lewnōn'' french: Mont Liban) is a mountain range in Lebanon. It averages above in elevation, with its peak at . Geography The Mount Le ...
, one of the eight mohafazats (governorates) of Lebanon. Antelias - Naqqach is 8 kilometers (4.9712 mi) from Beyrouth (Beirut), the capital of Lebanon. Its elevation is 10 meters (32.81 ft; 10.936 yd) above sea level. Antelias - Naqqach surface stretches for 193 hectares (1.93 km² - 0.74498 mi²).


Archaeological interest

Antelias is home to the site of
Ksar Akil Ksar Akil (also Ksar 'Akil or Ksar Aqil) is an archeological site 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 ...
where the region's oldest remains of a human being have been found: a 30,000-year-old man near the caves of Ksar Akil. The skull of the body found was sent the Beirut National Museum and the remains were shipped to the United States for conservation and study. Those caves are also well coveted by known
speleologist Speleology is the scientific study of caves and other karst features, as well as their make-up, structure, physical properties, history, life forms, and the processes by which they form ( speleogenesis) and change over time (speleomorphology) ...
s who have explored their passageways.
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 qua ...
was also located east of the town until it was completely destroyed by
dynamite Dynamite is an explosive made of nitroglycerin, sorbents (such as powdered shells or clay), and Stabilizer (chemistry), stabilizers. It was invented by the Swedish people, Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel in Geesthacht, Northern Germa ...
in 1964. Discoveries from Antelias are housed at the
Museum of Lebanese Prehistory The Museum of Lebanese Prehistory (french: Musée de Préhistoire Libanaise, ar, متحف ما قبل التاريخ اللبناني) is a museum of prehistory and archaeology in Beirut, Lebanon. History The museum is the first museum of prehist ...
. Antelias is also the site of the St-Elie Church, built in 1895. St-Elie Church holds celebrations on the week of 20th July. A variety of activities are offered to the public such as plays, concerts, a fair and food, sweet stands and fireworks.


Historical interest

Antelias (The St Elie Convent in particular) was the venue for the signature of a historical treaty (in Arabic: ''Ammiyat Antelias'') between several communities in Lebanon to unite against the oppression of the Egyptian occupation and their allies in the mid-19th century, precisely in 1840. The
Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
and
Druze The Druze (; ar, دَرْزِيٌّ, ' or ', , ') are an Arabic-speaking esoteric ethnoreligious group from Western Asia who adhere to the Druze faith, an Abrahamic, monotheistic, syncretic, and ethnic religion based on the teachings of ...
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. On 29 March 1991 a car bomb in Antelias killed 3 people.


Religion

Antelias is the seat of the Catholicos of Cilicia of the
Armenian Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia The Armenian Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia ( hy, Կաթողիկոսութիւն Հայոց Մեծի Տանն Կիլիկիոյ) is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church. Since 1930, the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilic ...
. Its
Cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denomination ...
of St. Elias is the episcopal see of the
Maronite Catholic Archeparchy of Antelias The Maronite Catholic Archeparchy of Antelias (informally Antelias of the Maronites) (in Latin: Archieparchia Anteliensis Maronitarum) is a Maronite (Antiochian Rite, Arabic), non-Metropolitan Archeparchy (Eastern Catholic Archdiocese) in northern ...
. Other important religious buildings include the St-Elie
Maronite The Maronites ( ar, الموارنة; syr, ܡܖ̈ܘܢܝܐ) are a Christian ethnoreligious group native to the Eastern Mediterranean and Levant region of the Middle East, whose members traditionally belong to the Maronite Church, with the larges ...
convent A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...
with its two
church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * C ...
es and the St. Mikhael
Greek Orthodox The term Greek Orthodox Church (Greek language, Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία, ''Ellinorthódoxi Ekklisía'', ) has two meanings. The broader meaning designates "the Eastern Orthodox Church, entire body of Orthodox (Chalced ...
church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * C ...
. There is one
Sunni Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagr ...
mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
located in the town.


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 Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...
. Antelias river is highly eutrophied due to the strong urbanization and the harmful effect of the untreated used waters. 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 (or urbanisation) refers to the population shift from rural to urban areas, the corresponding decrease in the proportion of people living in rural areas, and the ways in which societies adapt to this change. It is predominantly t ...
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 northern
Matn Hadith studies ( ar, علم الحديث ''ʻilm al-ḥadīth'' "science of hadith", also science of hadith, or science of hadith criticism or hadith criticism) consists of several religious scholarly disciplines used by Muslim scholars in th ...
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 ( ar, جونيه, or ''Juniya'', ) is a coastal city in Keserwan District, about north of Beirut, Lebanon. Since 2017, it has been the capital of Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate. Jounieh is known for its seaside resorts and bustling nightlife ...
and its coastal highway witnesses a daily rush of traffic. As previously stated, Antelias is the gateway to
Bikfaya Bikfaya ( ar, بكفيا, also spelled Bickfaya, Beckfayya, or Bekfaya) 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 su ...
,
Dhour el Chweir Dhour El Choueir ( ar, ضهور الشوير), sometimes Dhour Shweir, is a mountain town in Lebanon ('dhour' meaning 'summit, top f a mountain) located in the Matn District. It lies slightly north of the main Beirut - Damascus highway, overlook ...
,
Baskinta Baskinta ( ar, بسكنتا) is a Lebanon, Lebanese village situated at an altitude ranging from 1250 metres above sea level and climbs up to approximately 1800 meters of height at Qanat Bakish, making it one of the highest villages of Lebanon. It ...
and
Aintoura Aintoura ( ar, عينطورة) is a town and municipality in the Keserwan District of the Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate, Lebanon. It is located 18 kilometers north of Beirut. The average elevation of Aintoura is 230 meters above sea level and its tot ...
, all renowned summer resorts and the Antelias-Bikfaya road is well known to play that linkage role.


Commercial interest

Antelias holds many renowned malls such as ABC and Le Mall, supermarkets such as Spinneys and Bou Kahlil and movie theaters Cine St Elie, Grands Cinemas and CineMall. Adding to this a street dedicated to banks, that has more than five different banks. Antelias has also a strip that offers a selection of different restaurants offering a variety of cuisines such as Japanese: Yen, Yabani and Tsunami, Lebanese : Petit cafe, Keif and Lebnene, American:Spot and Public, Italian: Pinocchio, Mexican: Carlito's and French: L'escroc.


Touristic interest

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. Also Antelias has a very famous river that passes through its streets.


Cultural interest

Antelias features an annual Book Fair event sponsored by the Antelias Cultural Movement. The Cultural Movement 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 The Rahbani brothers (Arabic: الأخوان رحباني), Assi Rahbani (4 May 1923 – 21 June 1986) and Mansour Rahbani (1925 – 13 January 2009) were Lebanese sibling musicians, composers, songwriters, authors, and playwrights/dramatists, be ...
who have given so much to the World Music Heritage. Antelias inspired the Rahbanis for so many years. There is also a street dedicated to the Rahbani brothers in Antelias.Rahbani Brothers Street
/ref>


References


External links



Localiban {{Authority control Populated places in the Matn District Armenian communities in Lebanon Christian communities in Lebanon Christian cities in Lebanon