Wadi al-Nasara ( ar, وادي النصارى /

ALA-LC ALA-LC (American Library AssociationLibrary of Congress) is a set of standards for romanization, the representation of text in other writing systems using the Latin script. Applications The system is used to represent bibliographic information by ...

: ''Wādī an-Naṣārá'',

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

: Κοιλάδα των Χριστιανών, ''Koiláda ton Christianón'', which both mean "Valley of Christians") is an area in western

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

, close to the Lebanese

border Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders c ...

and administratively belonging to the governorate of Homs. Most people in the area are

Greek Orthodox Christians The term Greek Orthodox Church (Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία, ''Ellinorthódoxi Ekklisía'', ) has two meanings. The broader meaning designates "the entire body of Orthodox (Chalcedonian) Christianity, sometimes also call ...

. A large part of the valley's population comes originally from

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 ...

's northern Christian villages. Their migration to the nearby valley in Syria began in the mid-19th century as a result of the Mount Lebanon Civil War. The area of Wadi-Al Nasara is ecclesiastically under the

Archdiocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

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 ...

, which has its seat in

Cheikh Taba Cheikh Taba ( ar, الشيخ طابا) is a town in Akkar Governorate, Lebanon, close to the border with Syria. The population in Cheikh Taba are mostly Greek Orthodox and Maronite. History In 1838, Eli Smith noted the village as ''esh- ...

, Lebanon. The current Greek-Orthodox Metropolitan of Akkar and Wadi al-Nasara and its dependencies (

Safita Safita ( ar, صَافِيتَا '; phn, 𐤎‬𐤐𐤕‬𐤄, ''Sōpūte'') is a city in the Tartous Governorate, northwestern Syria, located to the southeast of Tartous and to the northwest of Krak des Chevaliers. It is situated on the tops of ...

and

Tartus ) , settlement_type = City , image_skyline = , imagesize = , image_caption = Tartus corniche Port of Tartus • Tartus beach and boulevard Cathedral of Our Lady of Tortosa • Al-Assad Stadium&n ...

) is Mgr Basilius Mansour.

Touristic Attractions

Wadi al-Nasara used to be a popular tourist site before the outbreak of the Syrian civil war. Among its touristic attractions are the Saint George's Monastery located in the town of

Al-Mishtaya Al-Mishtaya ( ar, المشتاية) is a village in northwestern Syria, administratively part of the Homs Governorate, located west of Homs and north of the border with Lebanon. Nearby localities include al-Husn to the southeast, Zweitina to the ...

, the

Krak des Chevaliers Krak des Chevaliers, ar, قلعة الحصن, Qalʿat al-Ḥiṣn also called Hisn al-Akrad ( ar, حصن الأكراد, Ḥiṣn al-Akrād, rtl=yes, ) and formerly Crac de l'Ospital; Krak des Chevaliers or Crac des Chevaliers (), is a medieva ...

Crusader castle located in the village of Al-Husn and the shrine of the

Lady of the Valley The Lady of the Valley ( ar, سيدة الوادي, ''Sayyidat al-Wadi'') is a Marian shrine inaugurated on 16 August 2009, located in Al-Nasirah, Wadi al-Nasara in Syria. The statue is built near the Lady of the Valley Church on top of ''Moun ...

in Al-Nasirah.

Villages in the valley

* Al-Hawash ( ar, الحواش) *

Mizyeneh Mizyeneh or Mazyanah ( ar, المزينة) is a small Greek Orthodox Christian village located in Western Syria close to the Lebanese borders and administratively belonging to the Homs Governorate. According to the Syria Central Bureau of Stat ...

( ar, المزينة) *

Marmarita Marmarita ( ar, مرمريتا, syc, ܡܪܡܪܝܬܐ, ) is a village in northwestern Syria, located west of Homs. Marmarita is one of the largest villages in Wadi al-Nasara ("Valley of the Christians"), a region north of Talkalakh. In 2004, Marm ...

( ar, مرمريتا) *

Habnamrah Habnamrah ( ar, حبنمرة, also spelled ''Habnemra'') is a village in northern Syria located west of Homs in the Homs Governorate. It is situated in the area known as Wadi al-Nasara ('valley of the Christians'). According to the Syria Centra ...

( ar, حب نمرة) *

Anaz Anaz ( ar, عناز, also spelled ''Aanaz'') is a village in northern Syria located west of Homs in the Homs Governorate. According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics, Anaz had a population of 2,038 in the 2004 census. Its inhabitants are ...

( ar, عناز) *

al-Mishtaya Al-Mishtaya ( ar, المشتاية) is a village in northwestern Syria, administratively part of the Homs Governorate, located west of Homs and north of the border with Lebanon. Nearby localities include al-Husn to the southeast, Zweitina to the ...

( ar, المشتاية) *

Tallah Tallah is an American nu metal band from Pennsylvania. They are currently signed to Earache Records. History Formation and ''No One Should Read This'' (2017-2020) Founded in 2017, Tallah was formed by drummer Max Portnoy, who asked guitarist ...

( ar, التل) * Kafra ( ar, كفرا) * al-Nasirah ( ar, الناصرة) * Mashta Azar ( ar, مشتى عازار) * Ain al-Ghara ( ar, عين الغارة) * Qalatiyah ( ar, القلاط) * Ain al-Barda ( ar, عين الباردة) *

Zweitina Zweitina or Zuwaytinah ( ar, زُويتينة / ALA-LC: ''Zūwaytīnah'') is a small Greek Orthodox Christian village located in Western Syria close to the Lebanese borders and administratively belonging to the Homs Governorate. Its location in t ...

( ar, الزويتينة) * Bahzina ( ar, بحزينا) * Ballat ( ar, بلاط) * Kimah ( ar, كيمة) *

Tannurin Tannurin ( ar, تنورين) is a village in Syria in the Talkalakh District, Homs Governorate. It is situated in the area known as Wadi al-Nasara ('valley of the Christians'). According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics, Tannurin had a ...

( ar, تنورين) * Ain al-Ajouz ( ar, عين العجوز) * Daghlah ( ar, دغلة) * Jiwar al-Afas ( ar, جوار العفص) *

Muklous Muqlus or Mqlos ( ar, مقلس, also spelled Mqlos, Mukloss, Muklous or Muklis) is a village in western Syria, close to the Lebanon, Lebanese border and administratively belonging to the Homs Governorate, governorate of Homs. It is situated in th ...

( ar, مقلس) *

Kafr Ram Kafr may refer to: * A Levantine Arabic term for village * Kafir, an Arabic term for an infidel * Kafr, Iran, a village See also * * Kafir (disambiguation) * Al-Kafr Al-Kafr ( ar, الكفر, also spelled ''al-Kefr'') is a village in as-Suwayda ...

( ar, كفرام) *

Rabah, Syria Rabah ( ar, رباح) is a village in northwestern Syria, administratively part of the Homs Governorate, located west of the city of Homs. Nearby localities include Muklous to the west, Hawash and Zweitina to the southwest, Shin to the southeast, ...

( ar, رباح) *

Amar al-Husn Amar al-Husn ( ar, عمار الحصن; also known simply as 'Amar) is a village in northern Syria located west of Homs in the Homs Governorate. According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics, Amar al-Husn had a population of 373 in the 200 ...

( ar, عمار الحصن) * Juwaniyat ( ar, جوانيات) * Ain al-Raheb ( ar, عين الراهب) *

Ish al-Shuha 'Ish al-Shuhah ( ar, عش الشوحة, also spelled ''Ash al-Shuha'' or ''Ushsh ash-Shuhah'') is a village in northern Syria located west of Homs in the Homs Governorate. According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics, 'Ish al-Shuhah had a ...

( ar, عش الشوحة) * al-Muqaabarat ( ar, مقعبرة) * al-Mazraah ( ar, مزرعة) * Duwair al-Lin ( ar, دوير اللين) * Al-Husn ( ar, الحصن)

Notable people from the Valley of the Christians

Victor Atiyeh Victor George Atiyeh (; February 20, 1923 – July 20, 2014) was an American politician who served as the 32nd Governor of Oregon from 1979 to 1987. He was also the first elected governor of Middle Eastern descent and of Syrian descent in the Un ...

- American politician, former Governor of Oregon (father was from Al-Husn) *

Joseph Atiyeh Joseph Atiyeh ( ar, جوزيف عطية, born October 8, 1957) is a retired Syrian wrestler and the winner of Syria's first Olympic medal. Early life Atiyeh was born in Amar al-Husn, Homs Governorate, Syria. His parents immigrated to Allent ...

- Olympic medalist, winner of Syria's first Olympic medal (born in Al-Husn) *

Mitch Daniels Mitchell Elias Daniels Jr. (born April 7, 1949) is an American academic administrator, businessman, author, and retired politician. A Republican, Daniels served as the 49th governor of Indiana from 2005 to 2013. Since 2013, Daniels has been pr ...

- American politician, former Governor of Indiana (paternal grandfather was from Qalatiyah) * Murray Abraham- American Oscar-winning actor (father was from Muqlus) *

John X of Antioch Patriarch John X ( ar, البطريرك يوحنا العاشر ; born Hānī Yāzijī ; January 1, 1955) is primate of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All The East. Life Hani Yazigi, a native ethnic Arab was born in Latakia, Sy ...

Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch The patriarch of Antioch is one of the Eastern Orthodox patriarchs, the leader of the autocephalous Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch. The term "Greek" does not refer to ethnic origin; the majority of these patriarchs were not ethnic Greeks. It r ...

(father is from

) *

Yusuf Al-Khal Yusuf al-Khal ( ar, يوسف الخال; December 25, 1917 – March 9, 1987) was a Lebanese-Syrian poet, journalist, and publisher. He is considered the greatest exponent of prose poetry (''qaṣīdat al-natr'') as well one of the pioneers ...

- Lebanese-Syrian poet and journalist, pioneer of Arabic surrealist poetry (born in Al-Husn) *

Teri Hatcher Teri Lynn Hatcher (born December 8, 1964) is an American actress best known for her portrayals of Lois Lane on the television series '' Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'' (1993–1997); Paris Carver in the ''James Bond'' film ''Tomor ...

- American actress (maternal grandfather was from

near Wadi al-Nasara) * Zerefeh Bashur- first licensed female physician in the Levant (born in Safita) * Elissa- Lebanese singer (mother is from Wadi al-Nasara) * Nadine Al Rassi- Lebanese actress (mother is from Marmarita)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wadi al-Nasara Valleys of Syria Greek Orthodoxy in Syria