MarMoussa ( ar, مار موسى, also spelled Mar-Moussa) is a town in
Lebanon in the
Matn District of
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 from
Beirut at an altitude ranging between above
sea level.
History
In 1753, a group of Lebanese monks built the monastery of Mar Moussa Al-Habshi
over the remains of an old Roman sanctuary. In later years, migrant families from Byblos, Chbaniyé, and Bikfaya settled in the area, where they were employed to cultivate the monastery's lands. Gradually, the community grew into the village called Mar Moussa Ed-Douar. With government financial assistance in the 1950s, the resident farmers obtained ownership of the land and began expanding the village. Since then, many villas and houses have been built in the surrounding area, which is full of pine trees. The village's most prominent landmarks are the monastery and the windmill.
Demography
The inhabitants of MarMoussa are followers of the
Maronite Catholic Church.
Religious structures
File:Marmoussa 149.JPG, Deir Mar-Moussa 2010
Like most mountain villages in Lebanon, MarMoussa is home to a historic Maronite monastery: Deir Mar Moussa (Saint Moussa Monastery). Built in 1753, Deir Mar Moussa Al-Habshi is constructed of white stones and consists of several long buildings with bricks on top, surrounded by trees. It was built over the remains of an old sanctuary. In the monastery there is a small church dedicated to
St. Charbel
Charbel Makhlouf, O.L.M. ( ar, شربل مخلوف, May 8, 1828 – December 24, 1898), born Youssef Antoun Makhlouf and venerated as Saint Charbel, was a Maronite monk and priest from Lebanon. During his life, he obtained a wide reputation for ...
and shrines for
St. Rafqa (a Maronite Lebanese nun
beatified
Beatification (from Latin ''beatus'', "blessed" and ''facere'', "to make”) is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their nam ...
in 1985 and
canonized in 2001) and Na’amatallah Al-Hardini (a Lebanese monk who was declared
venerable in 1989, beatified in 1998, and
canonized on 16 May 2004). The courtyard of Deir Mar Moussa overlooks terraces and the pine mountains of
Bzebdine, as well as
Mount Kneysseh.
References
External links
Mar Moussa - El Douar Localiban
{{Matn District
Populated places in the Matn District
Maronite Christian communities in Lebanon