Amsheet
| Amsheet عمشيت | |
|---|---|
| City | |
  Amsheet Location within Lebanon | |
| Coordinates: 34°09′00″N 35°39′00″E / 34.1500°N 35.6500°ECoordinates: 34°09′00″N 35°39′00″E / 34.1500°N 35.6500°E | |
| Country |
 Lebanon |
| Governorate | Mount Lebanon Governorate |
| District | Jbeil District |
| Elevation | 222 m (728 ft) |
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) |
| • Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) |
| Dialing code | +961 |
| Website | www.aamchit.com (Municipality of Amchit) |
Amsheet (Arabic: عمشيت, ʿAmšīt; also spelled Amchit) is a predominantly Maronite seaside town in Lebanon about 40 km north of Beirut.
There are many old churches in Amsheet (more than a hundred and some old synagogues)
Demography
Amsheet's population is around 25,000. The majority of the inhabitants are Maronite Christians with a small Shi'a minority.
Economy
Amsheet is known for its baskets and mats woven from palm leaves. Olive and citrus fruits are the main agricultural products of the town.
Education
Schools in the town include:
- Lycee Amchit, a private school that provides kindergarten through to secondary education, that was established in 1977.
Landmarks
The house of Zakhia family where Ernest Renan stayed, the French philosopher who lived in Amsheet for a long period in the 19th century, can be visited, аs can the tomb of his sister who was buried at St. Marie Church in the Zakhia family Cemetery.Also the house of Raphael Lahoud built in 1838,Gabriel Lahoud and Michel Lahoud.The oldest school in Lebanon of Adib Lahoud.
The Church of Saint George was built on an ancient temple and the altar has both Greek and Arabic inscriptions.[1] The adjoining churches of Saint Sophie and Saint Stephen retain their ancient vaulted porches and wall paintings. The churches were built on the remains of a Roman temple.
The Church of Saint Nicholas (Mar Zakhia) has medieval wall paintings and was built in the 5th century.
Tourism
The town is home to Lebanon's only organized coastal campsite, "Camping Les Colombes", a place with a history since its beginning in the '50s. Amchit is also known for its delicious seafood restaurants located on all the coast.
The most popular ones are "Faras El Baher", "Chez Zakhia", "Mhanna Sur Mer", "Le Cap".
Famous people from Amsheet
- Michel Sleiman - President of the Lebanese Republic
- Charbel Rouhana - singer, composer
- Marcel Khalife - singer, composer
- Aline Lahoud - singer and actress
- Elsa Zgheib - Actress
- Salwa Al Katrib - stage actress and singer
- Romeo Lahoud - Artist
- Papou Lahoud - Stylist
- Paul Sleiman - Actor
- Marwan Khoury - Singer and composer
- Mona Yazbeck - Artist and Architect
- Michel Khalife - Architect
- Joseph Khalife - Music Composer
- Victor Khoury - Former Army General
- Pierre Karam - Sculptor and artist
- Nazem El Khoury - Former member of parliament and current Minister
- Bassam Lahoud - Photographer/instructor
- Walid El Khoury - Member of Parliament
- Rida Khoury - Actress
- 'Afifa Karam - Novelist and journalist
- 'Fadi Karam - vice-président de la commission de l'ONU pour le statut de la Femme
- Sabah Khoury - Basketball player
- Assaad Rechdan - Actor
- Youssef F.Karam - Architect
Main families from Amchit
Karam, Zakhia, Lahoud, Sleiman, Al Kallab, Francis, Khoury, Yazbeck