Aita el-Foukhar (عيتا الفخار) is a village located in the Bekaa Valley in the Rachaya region of Lebanon. A small village of narrow streets and humble houses, Aita is surrounded by high mountains from three sides which reach 1,400 m above sea level at some points. The village itself is almost 1,250 m above sea level.
The village name combines the words “Aita”, referring to the inhabitant of the village, and "Foukhar", meaning "pottery". Together they refer to a pottery production center. The mountain to the north of the village is steep and not useful for agriculture. To the east and south, the mountains have gentle slopes and terraces are formed to use the land for agriculture. People cultivate several products including wheat, mulberries, cherry, 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 pleasant climate would have been attractive reasons for the settlement of the village in the early A.C. periods.
Many of Aita el-Foukhar's residents have left for bigger cities in Lebanon while some still live in Aita. Others have immigrated to North and South America and Australia. Such communities in the United States exist in Lowell, Massachusetts; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Toledo, Ohio; and Charleston, West Virginia where immigrants from Aita were instrumental in establishing their churches, naming them St. George Orthodox Church after the church in their beloved hometown.