Rmeileh is a Lebanese municipality in

Chouf District Chouf (also spelled Shouf, Shuf or Chuf, in ''Jabal ash-Shouf''; french: La Montagne du Chouf) is a historic region of Lebanon, as well as an administrative district in the governorate (muhafazat) of Mount Lebanon. Geography Located south-east o ...

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 ...

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 town belongs to the Federation of North Iqlim El Kharroub Municipalities.

Geography

Rmeileh is located approximately north of

Sidon Sidon ( ; he, צִידוֹן, ''Ṣīḏōn'') known locally as Sayda or Saida ( ar, صيدا ''Ṣaydā''), is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate, of which it is the capital, on the Mediterranean coast. ...

and south of Lebanon's capital city,

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 ...

. It is above sea level and covers an area of . Rmeileh sits on hills close to the sea, by the

Awali River The Awali ( ar, نهر الأولي / ALA-LC: ''Nahr al-Awalī'', ancient Bostrenus / Bostrenos) is a perennial river flowing in Southern Lebanon. In ancient times it was known as the River Asclepius. It is long, originating from the Barouk moun ...

. It is bordered to the south by the towns of Elman and Jamilla, to the east by Wardaniyeh town, and to the north by the town of Siblin.

Etymology

Rmeileh most likely got its name from the nature and location of its sandy beach. In Greek, it is known as ''Polatamos'', but in the

Syriac language The Syriac language (; syc, / '), also known as Syriac Aramaic (''Syrian Aramaic'', ''Syro-Aramaic'') and Classical Syriac ܠܫܢܐ ܥܬܝܩܐ (in its literary and liturgical form), is an Aramaic language, Aramaic dialect that emerged during ...

, the name is derived from the word ''Armela'' meaning "beach".

History

Hill caves suggest a settlement on this site since earliest times. The ancient town of Rmeileh was located near the modern church. Rmeileh has been important because of its proximity to

. The town has been mentioned, as Palatamos, in conflicts between

Antiochus III the Great Antiochus III the Great (; grc-gre, Ἀντίoχoς Μέγας ; c. 2413 July 187 BC) was a Greek Hellenistic king and the 6th ruler of the Seleucid Empire, reigning from 222 to 187 BC. He ruled over the region of Syria and large parts of the re ...

and the Ptolemaic Kingdom. In 1863,

Ernest Renan Joseph Ernest Renan (; 27 February 18232 October 1892) was a French Orientalist and Semitic scholar, expert of Semitic languages and civilizations, historian of religion, philologist, philosopher, biblical scholar, and critic. He wrote influe ...

found ruins of the ancient city. He found a "unique" stone cut in the Egyptian style and stones spread throughout the town cut from sarcophagi from different eras. In a number of caves, excavators found pieces of pottery and tools. Glass and various currencies were found on the sandy beach by the town. The ancient walls were built of sandstone, and inside were broken mosaics. The discoveries at Rmeileh were similar to those in Jiyeh and Khaldeh, Sidon and Chehim.

Demographics

The population of Rmeileh is about 3,300.

Agriculture

Fruits and vegetables are grown, including almkhovh,

olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' ...

olive oil Olive oil is a liquid fat obtained from olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea''; family Oleaceae), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin, produced by pressing whole olives and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking: f ...

, citrus fruits,

banana A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus ''Musa''. In some countries, bananas used for cooking may be called "plantains", distinguis ...

guava Guava () is a common tropical fruit cultivated in many tropical and subtropical regions. The common guava ''Psidium guajava'' (lemon guava, apple guava) is a small tree in the myrtle family ( Myrtaceae), native to Mexico, Central America, the ...

Tourism of Rmeileh

Archaeological sites

* The remains of the old town: the old town was located on a nearby hill, by the old church. Spread throughout the modern town are many sandy and rocky stones that were used in its construction, evidence of the ancient settlement existing on this hill and underneath modern buildings. * Cemeteries: spread throughout the town and its environs is a large number of tombs carved in the rock, notably those near the modern church.

Religious sites

* Church of the Old City: Located to the east of the new church, this is a rectangular building in length, wide, and high. In front of a small courtyard to the north is a small bell tower. * Modern church: the Church of Saint Anthony the Great was built about fifty years ago. It is located in the center of town and is characterized by its large size and the beautiful icons that adorn it. * Mar Elias shrine: Located in the southernmost part of the town, on the north bank of the river amid lemon groves and land cultivated with vegetables, it is a small room near a courtyard.

Natural features

* Beaufort cave: located near Gemmaiza spring, it is a large cave consisting of calcareous rocks. * Gemmaiza spring: Located at the bottom of the valley, to the south of the town, near Nabah engraved rock, it is currently being restored as a tourist attraction.

Notable People

*Georges Chaaya, Singer and Conductor of "Voice of Heaven Choir". *Laura Fares, Former Second runner up in Miss Al-Chouf Beauty contest in 2015 and current Member Advisor at the Youth Club Rmeileh and a social activist

*Judge Tanios El-Khoury, Former president of the Supreme Judicial Council

References

{{Chouf District, state=autocollapse Populated places in Chouf District Archaeological sites in Lebanon