Miniara () (also transliterated Minyara) is a village in

Akkar Governorate Akkar Governorate () is the northernmost governorate of Lebanon. It comprises the single district of Akkar, which in turn is subdivided into 121 municipalities. The capital is at Halba. It covers an area of and is bounded by the Mediterranean ...

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 ...

, 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 east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...

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

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

Greek Orthodox Greek Orthodox Church (, , ) is a term that can refer to any one of three classes of Christian Churches, each associated in some way with Greek Christianity, Levantine Arabic-speaking Christians or more broadly the rite used in the Eastern Rom ...

, located west of

esh-Sheikh Mohammed Cheikh Mohammad () 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 99% of the population b ...

. 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 () 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 registered refugees o ...

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, son of Ibrahim El Sarraf, was elected the Minister of Health of Lebanon in 1964 and was known for treating poor people free of charge and his many public services.--. The current mayor of the village of Miniara is Toni Naim Aboud since 1998.

Demographics

The population is religiously diverse. A

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

village but of several different denominations with a majority of

and including

Melkite Greek Catholic The Melkite Greek Catholic Church (, ''Kanīsat ar-Rūm al-Malakiyyīn al-Kāṯūlīk''; ; ), also known as the Melkite Byzantine Catholic Church, is an Eastern Catholic church in full communion with the Holy See as part of the worldwide Catho ...

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 head of the Maronite ...

, and

Evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of th ...

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 *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