El Ain (), Al Ain, or Ain is a village at an elevation of on a foothill of the

Anti-Lebanon Mountains The Anti-Lebanon mountains (), also called Mount Amana, are a southwest–northeast-trending, c. long mountain range that forms most of the border between Syria and Lebanon. The border is largely defined along the crest of the range. Most of ...

in the

Baalbek District Baalbek District () is an administrative district in the Baalbek-Hermel Governorate of the Republic of Lebanon, having the city Baalbek as its capital. It is by far the largest district in the country comprising a total of . Major towns of the d ...

of the

Baalbek-Hermel Governorate Baalbek-Hermel () is a governorate of Lebanon and is the largest by area in the country. It comprises the districts of Baalbek and Hermel, which in turn are subdivided into a total of 74 municipalities. The capital is at Baalbek. The governorate ...

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

. It is famous for agriculture and trade, located on the highway connecting Syrian borders and the

Hermel Hermel () is a town in Baalbek-Hermel Governorate, Lebanon. It is the capital of Hermel District. Hermel is home to a Lebanese Red Cross First Aid Center. Hermel's inhabitants are predominantly Shia Muslims. There is an ancient pyramid known ...

area with Chtaura and

Beirut Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...

. Its name, Ain, refers to the old water source within its boundaries.

History

In 1838,

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

noted El Ain's population as being predominantly

Metawileh Lebanese Shia Muslims (), communally and historically known as ''matāwila'' (, plural of ''mutawālin''; pronounced as ''metouéle'' in Lebanese Arabic), are Lebanese people who are adherents of Shia Islam in Lebanon, which plays a major role ...

.Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, 2nd appendix, p
144
/ref>

Geography and Agriculture

The altitude of this village ranges from 900 to 1300 meters above sea level. The village is 125 km away from

situated between the towns of Labwe and Fakiha. Its economy is restricted to agriculture (figs, olives, apples, pomegranate, apricots, peach and grapes). Many sources of water are distributed all around the village.

Weather Conditions

Winters in El Ain are cold and dry, with temperatures rarely reaching freezing point (-7° to -10°). On average, it snows three to five times per season. Summers are very hot and dry, with temperatures rarely reaching 40 °C. The average annual rainfall is 230 mm (9 in).

Notable people

Ali Hussain Sibat Ali Hussain Sibat is a Lebanese national and former host of the popular call-in show that aired on satellite TV across the Middle East. On the show - described as "a Middle Eastern psychic hot line" by one source - he made predictions and gave advi ...

* Mohamad Safwan (born 2003), Lebanese footballer

References

Sources

(Mapquest)
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Bibliography

External links

Localiban Populated places in Baalbek District {{lebanon-geo-stub Shia Muslim communities in Lebanon