Ain Dara ( ar, عين داره), is a village about from
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 ...
, in the governorate of
Mount Lebanon
Mount Lebanon ( ar, جَبَل لُبْنَان, ''jabal lubnān'', ; syr, ܛܘܪ ܠܒ݂ܢܢ, ', , ''ṭūr lewnōn'' french: Mont Liban) is a mountain range in Lebanon. It averages above in elevation, with its peak at .
Geography
The Mount Le ...
, in the
Aley District
Aley ( ar, عاليه) is a district (''qadaa'') in Mount Lebanon, Lebanon, to the south-east of the Lebanon's capital Beirut. The capital is Aley. Aley city was previously known as the "bride of the summers" during the 1960 and 1970s, when Aley ...
.
Ain Dara Municipality has an area of , with a population of approximately 8000 persons (1700 emigrants). It had 3,874 registered voters in 2010. Originally a Druze village, Ain Dara today is a mixed Druze and Christian village, with a Christian majority, as per the recent registered voters.
Ain Dara is located on a southward facing slope overlooking the pine forests of the safa valley at an elevation of . It is close to Mount
Barouk
Barouk ( ar, باروك) is a village in the Chouf District of Mount Lebanon Governorate in Lebanon. Barouk is located 52 kilometers southeast of Beirut. Its average elevation is 1000 to 1200 meters above sea level and its total land area consists ...
, which is famous for its
cedar
Cedar may refer to:
Trees and plants
*''Cedrus'', common English name cedar, an Old-World genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae
*Cedar (plant), a list of trees and plants known as cedar
Places United States
* Cedar, Arizona
* ...
forest. Its altitude gives it cool summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall.
Some well-known places surrounding Ain Dara are
Hammana
Hammana ( ar, حمانا) is a town in Lebanon, about 26 km (16 miles) east of Beirut. At an altitude of 1200 m (about 4000 ft) above sea level, Hammana is in the Mount Lebanon Governorate in the district (or Caza) of Baabda. Hammana i ...
and Mdeirej to the north,
Aghmeed and
Bmahray to the south, Dahr-el-Baydar to the east and
Saoufar to the west. Ain Dara is known for the famous
Battle of Ain Dara
The Battle of Ain Dara took place in the town of Ain Dara in 1711 between the Qaysi and Yamani tribo-political factions. The Qays were led by Emir Haydar of the Shihab dynasty and consisted of the Druze clans of Jumblatt, Talhuq, Imad and Abd a ...
that took place in 1711 between the two parties of the time; the Qaysis and the Yemenis, resulting in a total Qaysi victory under the leadership of Emir Haidar Chehab; a victory that decisively established the Chehabi rule for the next 150 years.
Places of worship
* Druze Khalwat: Khalwat Zeitouni, Atallah
Ain Dara also contains five churches :
* Saint George (gerges) Maronite Church (The oldest church in the village 1890 AD)
* Saint Mary (al saydeh) Maronite Church
* Saint George (gawergios) Orthodox Church, Father Ghassan Haddad.
* Saint Elie (elias) Orthodox Church, Father Ghassan Haddad
* Church of the Assumption, Orthodox Church, Father Ghassan Haddad
* Aindara Evangelical Baptist Church.
Nature and cultural attractions
Natural and Cultural Attractions are:
* El-Okeili Historical Square
* Ancient Churches: Mar Gerges - Maronite Church, Mar Gerges Orthodox Church
* Druze hermitage site: Makam Shaykh Badereddin El Enderi (The first Shaykh Akl of the Druze)
* Qoubat Al-Sitt
* Ancient village of Tayroush
* Natural water sources: Ain Barakeh, Ain Al Tarcha, Ain Majed, Ain Al-Kakbi, Ain Al-Tamam, Hafr Al Tannour, Bahsasa, Ain Al Bustan, Ain Al Hammam, Ain Al Wosta
* Al Dayaa Grottos
* Pine Forest
Families
Families of Ain Dara include:
Atallah, Bader, Bou Faissal, Faisal, Haddad, Haidamous, Wehbeh, Yammine, Yehia, Zakharia, Zeitouni.
Additional information
Ain Dara has 3 schools:
- 1 public and 2 private.
There are no hospitals in Ain Dara.
External links
Ain Dara localiban
{{Aley District
Populated places in Aley District
Druze communities in Lebanon
Eastern Orthodox Christian communities in Lebanon
Maronite Christian communities in Lebanon