Ain Dara, Lebanon
| Ain Dara | |
|---|---|
| Village | |
  Ain Dara Location in Lebanon | |
| Coordinates: 33°47′N 35°43′E / 33.783°N 35.717°ECoordinates: 33°47′N 35°43′E / 33.783°N 35.717°E | |
| Country |
 Lebanon |
| Governorate | Mount Lebanon Governorate |
| District | Aley District |
| Elevation | 4,300 ft (1,300 m) |
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) |
| • Summer (DST) | +3 (UTC) |
| Dialing code | +961 |
Ain Dara is a village about 30 kilometres (19 mi) from Beirut, in the governorate of Mount Lebanon, in the Aley District. Ain Dara Municipality has an area of 2,586 hectares (9.98 sq mi), 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 1,300 metres (4,300 ft). It is close to Mount Barouk, which is famous for its cedar forest. Its altitude gives it cool summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall.
Some well-known places surrounding Ain Dara are Hammana 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 that took place in 1711 between the two Druze parties of the time; the Qaysis and the Yemenis, resulting in a Qaysi victory and a Yemeni migration to the Sweida region of Syria. It was a historic battle that changed the face of Lebanon at that time because half of the Druze left for Syria, obliging the Druze Qaysis to call Christians peasants from northern districts to settle and tend to their lands.
Places of worship
- Druze Khalwat: Khalwat Zeitouni, Atallah and Yehya Families
Ain Dara also contains five churches :
- Saint George (gerges) Maronite Church (The oldest church in the village 1890 AD)
- Saint George (gawergios) Orthodox Church, Father Ghassan Haddad.
- Saint Elie (elias) Orthodox Church
- Aindara Evangelical Baptist Church, Pastor Nabih Toufic Haddad.
- Saint Mary (al saydeh) Maronite Church
Nature and cultural attractions
Natural and Cultural Attractions are:
- EI-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 Birkeh, Ain Al Tarcha, Ain Majed, Ain Al-A'kiba, Ain Al-Tamatn, HafrAI Tannour, Bahsasa
- Al Dayaa Grotto
- Pine Forest
Families
Families of Ain Dara include Atallah, Bader, Bou Faysal, Faisal, Haddad, Haydamous, Wehbeh, Yammine, Yehia, Zakharia, Zeitouni, among others.
Additional information
Ain Dara has 4 schools; 2 public schools and 2 private schools. 213 students are enrolled in the public schools, and 277 in the private schools. There are no hospitals in Ain Dara. There are 0 companies with more than 5 employees in Ain Dara.(Source: Localiban)
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