Aita al-Foukhar
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Aita al-Foukhar (عيتا الفخار) is a small village located in the Bekaa Valley in the Rachaya region of Lebanon. Aita al-Foukhar is a small village of narrow streets and humble houses. It is surrounded by high mountains from two main sides which reach at some point 1400 m above sea level. The village itself is almost 1250 m above sea level.
The village name combines the words “Aita” meaning, after the inhabitant of the village, and "al-Foukhar" meaning pottery. Together they refer to a pottery production center. The mountain to the north of the village is more steep and less useful for agricultural activities. To the south the mountain slopes gently toward the valley. The advantage of this natural phenomenon is in the establishment of several agriculture terraces. People cultivate several products including wheat, blueberries, figs, apples, grapes, and olives. Water sources are available mainly from springs such as Ain el-Arish. Until the present, the inhabitants of the village partially depended on this spring as a source of water. Water and a nice environment would have been attractive reasons for the settlement of the village in early A.C. periods.
Many of Aita al-Foukhar's residents have left for bigger cities in Lebanon however some still settle in Aita. Others have immigrated to North and South America and Australia. One such community in the United States is in Lowell, Massachusetts where immagrants from Aita helped to found St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church.
