Miniara ( ar, منياره) (also transliterated Minyara) is a village in

Akkar Governorate french: Gouvernorat de l'Akkar , settlement_type = Governorate , image_skyline = Berkayl.jpg , image_caption = Berkayel, Akkar Governorate , image_flag = , image_seal = , image_shield ...

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 ...

, 9 kilometers east of 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 ...

, and 3 kilometers south of Halba. The population is between 7,000 and 10,000.

History

In 1838,

Eli Smith Eli Smith (born September 13, 1801, in Northford, Connecticut, to Eli and Polly (Whitney) Smith, and died January 11, 1857, in Beirut, Lebanon) was an American Protestant missionary and scholar. He graduated from Yale College in 1821 and from Andov ...

noted the village (named ''Menyarah''), whose inhabitants were

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 ...

, located west of

esh-Sheikh Mohammed Cheikh Mohammad ( ar, الشيخ محمد) is a village situated in Akkar Governorate, Lebanon. Situated 400 metres above sea level, in between two mountains, it overlooks the Akkar plains and sea. It is made up of approximately 450 houses, with ...

. In 1856 it was named ''Menyarah'' on Kiepert's map of Palestine/Lebanon published that year, Miniara is the birthplace of Ibrahim ''Beik'' El-Sarraf, the first member of the Lebanese parliament to represent the Christian seat of

Akkar Akkar District ( ar, قضاء عكار) is the only district in Akkar Governorate, Lebanon. It is coextensive with the governorate and covers an area of . The UNHCR estimated the population of the district to be 389,899 in 2015, including 106,935 ...

for 2 terms when

was still a French Mandate, and his younger brother "Afandi" Zeki EL Sarraf the first mayor in the municipality of Akkar in his village Miniara. Dr

Yacoub El Sarraf Yacoub Riad Sarraf ( ar, يعقوب رياض الصراف; born 1961) is a Lebanon, Lebanese politician. He was born in the town of Miniara in the Akkar district of northern Lebanon. Biography Sarraf, who is a Greek Orthodox Christianity in Leba ...

--son of Ibrahim El Sarraf and a generous doctor who treated poor people free of charge and conducted many public services--was elected the Minister of Health in Lebanon. The current mayor of the village of Miniara is Toni Naim Aboud since 1998.

Demographics

The population is religiously diverse. A

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 ...

village but of several different denominations with a majority of

and including

Melkite Greek Catholic el, Μελχιτική Ελληνική Καθολική Εκκλησία , image = Melkite Greek Catholic Church, Damascus, Syria.jpg , imagewidth = 200px , alt = , caption = , abbreviatio ...

Maronite Catholic The Maronite Church is an Eastern Catholic '' sui iuris'' particular church in full communion with the pope and the worldwide Catholic Church, with self-governance under the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches. The current head of the Mar ...

, and

Evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide Interdenominationalism, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "bor ...

Education

The majority of Miniara's teenage population is either in high school or has completed high school. Miniara has both private and public schools.

Private Schools

*Saint Joseph's High School *Saint Joseph's Elementary School *Ecole Nationale Orthodoxe (E.N.O) *Modern School

Public Schools

*Miniara Female Public School *Miniara Public High School *Miniara Boys Public School

References

Bibliography

External links

Minyara
Localiban
Al Mustaqbal - article on Fouad Ibrahim Sarraf
accessed January 13, 2007. {{Coord, 34, 31, 57, N, 36, 03, 38.76, E, region:LB_type:city_source:enwiki-GNS, display=title Populated places in Akkar District Christian communities in Lebanon