| Kousba كوسبا |
|
|---|---|
| — City — | |
|
Kousba
|
|
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Lebanon |
| Governorate | North Governorate |
| District | Koura District |
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) |
| • Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) |
| Postal code | |
| Dialing code | +961 |
Kousba is a Greek Orthodox village in Koura District, in the Northern Governorate of Lebanon.
Contents |
The Name Kousba comes from the word hidden because how the village is hidden in between all the trees and mountains. Kousba is one of the most inhabited villages in the koura district, its is 18km south from tripoli and 12km east of Chekka, and well placed on the main Highway towards the village Becharry. One main highway that runs through Kousba and many other villages is called The autostrade.
Kousba El-Koura has a population of 5 000 residents, has two schools which are both public and have over 311 students enroled into each of them. In the last municipal elections in 2004, had Kousba 7 193 registered voters with 4 940 voting. Kousba has 23 companies with more than 5 employees. Kousba has no hospitals but has a medical center. Kousba consists of 601 Hectare of lands, including lots of historical monuments, touristic attractions and religious sites such as many churches and monasteries, sports clubs, teaching institutions and social clubs.
Late in the 13th century, at Our Lady Monastery in Hamatoura, Saint Jacob began his ascetic life. Later, when the monastery was destroyed by the Mamelukes, he reestablished monasticism along the perimeter of the ruined monastery. In time, he rebuilt the monastery, regenerating and giving renewed vigor to monastic life in the area. His spiritual briskness, vivacity, and popularity among believers drew the attention of the Mamelukes who set their minds to stop his verve and determination and force him to convert to Islam. He stubbornly refused their relentless pressures. When the Mamelukes' horrible coercive attempts failed, they dragged Saint Jacob, along with a number of monks and laymen, from Saint Georges Monastery, situated atop Mount Hamatoura, to Tripoli City (the capital of Northern Lebanon) and handed him to the wali (ruler). For almost a year, he endured tremendous tortures. Nevertheless, he did not give in or renounce his faith despite receiving both adulations and threats from the Mamelukes. Although intimidated by Saint Jacob's stubbornness and persistence, finally, as was their custom in punishing their enemies, on October 13th, Saint Jacob was beheaded. In addition, the Mamelukes burned his body to ensure the Church will not give him an honorable burial as a martyr, a burial befitting a saint. Not long after his death, seeing his sufferings and steadfast faith, our Lord bestowed on him everlasting crowns and graces and today he shines as a martyr as much as he was a beacon during his earthly life; at this time the Church announced Saint Jacob's holiness and added him to her list of honored Martyr Saints and prayed for his intercession. Our Saint was almost forgotten in the course of history. This was due to the severe sufferings of the Church under various Moslem sultanates that both weakened Christian spiritual life and resulted in a noticeable drop of Christian literacy. Additionally, all manuscripts and data that could have been sent and translated abroad were either forgotten, lost, or destroyed. However, recorded encounters by the Monastery's pilgrims, upon seeing visions of Saint Jacob, and many others, who sensed his presence, affirmed and authenticated his sainthood. Glorifying the name of Lord, Saint Jacob also healed many. We have recently discovered a clear mention of Saint Jacob in a manuscript preserved at the Balamand Monastery in a Gerontikon, a hagiography or compilation of biographical short stories of the lives of holy saints. In a Balamand archival manuscript, numbered 149, it clearly indicates that the Church commemorates his memory on October 13th. The Monastery of the Dormition of the Theotokos - Kousba, Hamatoura, in Lebanon, commemorated his memory, for the first time, on October 13th, 2002, in an all-night prayer vigil (agrypnia). A number of priests, deacons, and believers participated in that memorable day, as the attendees chanted Saint Jacob's troparion and Akolouthia, prepared and edited by the monastery's monks. Today, believers and pilgrims are constantly reporting his apparitions, miraculous healings and other Grace-filled deeds. All of this kindled the spiritual fervorness to celebrate the memory of this Saint and give Praise to the Lord, while honoring Saint Jacob of Hamatoura who is still living among us in his monastery performing miraculous deeds, calls, and visitations to believers.
Banks,Computer shop, Computer Services (IT), Supermarkets, Jewelries, Car Mechanics, Olive Oils, Perfumeries, Wheels repairs, Lingeries, Clothing, Flowers, Photographing, Silver ware, Ice Creams and Sweets, Car Spare Parts, Buchers, Shoe Shops, Blinds and Curtains Shops, Gas Stations, Eye Glasses, Mobile Phone Shops, Construction Materials, Hair Dressers, Bookshops, Beauty shops and Pharmacies.
|
|||||||||||