Kaftoun ( ar, كَفْتُون) is a small Lebanese village located along the north bank of the Walnut River, in the

Koura District Koura District ( ar, ٱلْكُورَة, from gr, χώρα, lit=country) is a district in the North Governorate, Lebanon. Koura is one of the 26 districts of Lebanon, particularly known for its olive tree cultivation and olive oil production ...

, North

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 ...

. The population of the village is approximately three-hundred, spread around seventy-four houses. They are mostly of

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 ...

ancestry. The name "Kaftoun" in the ancient

Aramaic language The Aramaic languages, short Aramaic ( syc, ܐܪܡܝܐ, Arāmāyā; oar, 𐤀𐤓𐤌𐤉𐤀; arc, 𐡀𐡓𐡌𐡉𐡀; tmr, אֲרָמִית), are a language family containing many varieties (languages and dialects) that originated in ...

means "dug from" or "sculpted from" a cliff and also (Kftuna) could means "the domed". Both roots of the word lead us to believe that the village of Kaftoun was named after the domed Theotokos Monastery which is carved in the red rock cliffs by the banks of the Jaouz River.

Churches

Kaftoun has three historic churches: Saint Phocas Church (Mar Foka's), the Church of Saint Sergius and Bacchus (Mar Sarkis) 6th century, and the most famed Theotokos Monastery, which houses a two-sided Byzantine iconKaftoun's Theotokos
. Ortmtlb.org.lb. Retrieved on October 12, 2011. from the 11th century.

References

External links

* https://web.archive.org/web/20130903215351/http://www.kaftoun.com/

Localiban {{Koura District Christian communities in Lebanon Eastern Orthodox Christian communities in Lebanon Populated places in the North Governorate Koura District Populated places in Lebanon