Damour
Encyclopedia
Damour is a Lebanese
Christian
town that is 24 kilometres south of Beirut
. The name of the town is derived from the name of the Phoenicia
n god Damoros who symbolized immortality (ديمومة in arabic).
In 2009, Damour was selected as the future site of the first artificial island
off the coast of Lebanon. The project is set to start construction later this year .
Beirut-based developer, Noor Investment Holding has presented a detailed explanation of the Cedar Island project to the Investment Development Authority of Lebanon (IDAL) and is waiting for approval .
-Tyre Highway separates the plantations. Now dismantled, the track is a stopover.
, Damour attracts tourists and especially water sports enthusiasts. Thus several restaurants, coffees and snacks are located along the beach. It intercepts also a few restaurants at the edges of Damour River.
It was the capital of the Mount Lebanon
between the 17th century and 20th century.
In the 19th century, Damour was the most flourishing Center of the Chouf district region. Its plain was then planted of mulberry and had twelve large manufacturing companies. Ten thousand workers and technicians worked in the natural silk industry. The city has a real fascination for the Lebanese worker and attracts the largest majority of the natives in the Sahel region.
During the last centuries, Damour was located on the central axis of fights and successive wars.
In 1302, after the mamelouks took Arwad
Island, on 8 June the same year, the Cypriots landed on the Damour River. A battle took place between the Emir Fakhr al - Din Abdel - Hamid bin Jamaluddin Altnokhi, his brother the Emir Shams al - Din Abdullah accompanied by an army of Muslims against the Cypriot. The battle was won by Crusaders. Fakhr Din Emir was killed, while his brother Shams al - Din fell hostage. He was released after five days for a ransom of three thousand dinars tyriens.
In May 1860, Druze forces commit a massacre of the people.
During the nights of the first world war, inhabitants met the armoured French cruiser Jeanne d'Arc sailors and received medicines, food and other needed supplies.
The city being a strategic crossing point on the road to Beirut
, 21 July 1941, was the place of one of the battles that affected Lebanon during the second world war Syria-Lebanon Campaign
. Australian troops, progressing towards the North along the coast, take Damour, held by the French Foreign Legion, faithful to the Vichy Government. One cease-fire was concluded at the end of the battle. There were no more obstacles in the direction of Beirut.
In 1942, the New Zealand troops build track Beirut
-Haifa
on the coast.
January 9, 1976, Palestinians lay siege to the city. January 20, thousands of Palestinians commit a massacre of the inhabitants.(see Damour Massacre
)
During Israeli invasion
of 1982, the Israeli air force bombed the city which was under the control of the Palestinian militias.
During the Israeli conflict of 2006, the Israeli air force destroyed several bridges on Highway Beirut
-Tyre and on the Damour River.
Demographics of Lebanon
This article is about the demographic features of the population of Lebanon, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population....
Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
town that is 24 kilometres south of Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
. The name of the town is derived from the name of the Phoenicia
Phoenicia
Phoenicia , was an ancient civilization in Canaan which covered most of the western, coastal part of the Fertile Crescent. Several major Phoenician cities were built on the coastline of the Mediterranean. It was an enterprising maritime trading culture that spread across the Mediterranean from 1550...
n god Damoros who symbolized immortality (ديمومة in arabic).
In 2009, Damour was selected as the future site of the first artificial island
Artificial island
An artificial island or man-made island is an island or archipelago that has been constructed by people rather than formed by natural means...
off the coast of Lebanon. The project is set to start construction later this year .
Beirut-based developer, Noor Investment Holding has presented a detailed explanation of the Cedar Island project to the Investment Development Authority of Lebanon (IDAL) and is waiting for approval .
Geography
The city is located in one of the few flat areas of the Lebanese coast. It is built to the north of the river, the ancient Tamyrus, which bears its name on a dune overlooking the Mediterranean. It is surrounded by plantations of bananas and vegetable crops. It has an area of 10.1 km². Beirut-tyre road through. The BeirutBeirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
-Tyre Highway separates the plantations. Now dismantled, the track is a stopover.
Churches
There exists 5 churches in Damour, of which Notre-Dame de Damour and Saint Élias are the biggest. We also find three other chapels notable Sainte Thècle and Saint michel, which was the first church in Damour.Tourism
Because Damour is one of the few cities of the Lebanese coast having a sand beach, and since it is ten minutes from BeirutBeirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
, Damour attracts tourists and especially water sports enthusiasts. Thus several restaurants, coffees and snacks are located along the beach. It intercepts also a few restaurants at the edges of Damour River.
History
Emir Fakhreddine The Great had a great interest in Damour.It was the capital of the Mount Lebanon
Mount Lebanon
Mount Lebanon , as a geographic designation, is a Lebanese mountain range, averaging above 2,200 meters in height and receiving a substantial amount of precipitation, including snow, which averages around four meters deep. It extends across the whole country along about , parallel to the...
between the 17th century and 20th century.
In the 19th century, Damour was the most flourishing Center of the Chouf district region. Its plain was then planted of mulberry and had twelve large manufacturing companies. Ten thousand workers and technicians worked in the natural silk industry. The city has a real fascination for the Lebanese worker and attracts the largest majority of the natives in the Sahel region.
During the last centuries, Damour was located on the central axis of fights and successive wars.
In 1302, after the mamelouks took Arwad
Arwad
Arwad – formerly known as Arado , Arados , Arvad, Arpad, Arphad, and Antiochia in Pieria , also called Ruad Island – located in the Mediterranean Sea, is the only inhabited island in Syria. The town of Arwad takes up the entire island...
Island, on 8 June the same year, the Cypriots landed on the Damour River. A battle took place between the Emir Fakhr al - Din Abdel - Hamid bin Jamaluddin Altnokhi, his brother the Emir Shams al - Din Abdullah accompanied by an army of Muslims against the Cypriot. The battle was won by Crusaders. Fakhr Din Emir was killed, while his brother Shams al - Din fell hostage. He was released after five days for a ransom of three thousand dinars tyriens.
In May 1860, Druze forces commit a massacre of the people.
During the nights of the first world war, inhabitants met the armoured French cruiser Jeanne d'Arc sailors and received medicines, food and other needed supplies.
The city being a strategic crossing point on the road to Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
, 21 July 1941, was the place of one of the battles that affected Lebanon during the second world war Syria-Lebanon Campaign
Syria-Lebanon campaign
The Syria–Lebanon campaign, also known as Operation Exporter, was the Allied invasion of Vichy French-controlled Syria and Lebanon, in June–July 1941, during World War II. Time Magazine referred to the fighting as a "mixed show" while it was taking place and the campaign remains little known, even...
. Australian troops, progressing towards the North along the coast, take Damour, held by the French Foreign Legion, faithful to the Vichy Government. One cease-fire was concluded at the end of the battle. There were no more obstacles in the direction of Beirut.
In 1942, the New Zealand troops build track Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
-Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
on the coast.
January 9, 1976, Palestinians lay siege to the city. January 20, thousands of Palestinians commit a massacre of the inhabitants.(see Damour Massacre
Damour massacre
The Damour massacre took place on January 20, 1976 during the 1975–1990 Lebanese Civil War. Damour, a Christian town on the main highway south of Beirut, was attacked by the Palestine Liberation Organisation units...
)
During Israeli invasion
Israeli invasion of Lebanon
The Israeli invasion of Lebanon could refer to:*The Israeli invasion of Lebanon in the 1978 South Lebanon conflict;*The Israeli invasion of Lebanon in the 1982 Lebanon War;*The Israeli invasion of Lebanon in the 1993 Lebanon War;...
of 1982, the Israeli air force bombed the city which was under the control of the Palestinian militias.
During the Israeli conflict of 2006, the Israeli air force destroyed several bridges on Highway Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
-Tyre and on the Damour River.
The Historical Bridge of Damour
The history of the archeological bridge dates back to the era of prince-Béchir Shehab who had a great interest in it, it was considered a strategic and important transit point between Mt Lebanon and the South.Neighbourhoods belonging to the municipality of Damour
- Mar Thecla El Naame
- Mar Mikhael Al Damour
- Khiyam Al Damour
- Saadiyat
- Ghandouriyeh
- Missiar