MarMoussa
MarMoussa
مار موسى | |
|---|---|
City | |
| Country |  Lebanon |
| Governorate | Mount Lebanon Governorate |
| District | Matn District |
| Highest elevation | 1,150 m (3,770 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 900 m (3,000 ft) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Dialing code | +961 |
MarMoussa (Arabic: مار موسى, also spelled Mar-Moussa) is a town in Lebanon located in the Matn District of Mount Lebanon Governorate. It is 25 km from Beirut at an altitude ranging between 900 to 1150 meters above sea level.
History
In 1753, a group of Lebanese monks built the monastery of Mar Moussa Al-Habshi over the remains of an old sanctuary. In later years, migrant families from Jbail, Chbaniyé, and Bikfaya settled in the area, where they were employed to cultivate the monastery’s lands. Gradually, the community grew into the village called Mar Moussa Ed-Douar. With government financial assistance in the 1950s, the resident farmers succeeded in obtaining ownership of the land and began expanding the village. Since then, many villas and houses have been built in the surrounding area, which is full of pine trees. The village’s most prominent landmarks are the monastery and the windmill.
Demography
The inhabitants of MarMoussa are followers of the Maronite Catholic Church.[citation needed]
Religious structures
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Deir Mar-Moussa 2010
Like most mountain villages in Lebanon, MarMoussa is home to a historic Maronite monastery: Deir Mar Moussa (Saint Moussa Monastery). Built in 1753, Deir Mar Moussa Al-Habshi is constructed of white stones and consists of several long buildings with bricks on top, surrounded by trees. It was built over the remains of an old sanctuary. In the monastery there is a small church dedicated to St. Charbel and shrines for St. Rafqa (a Maronite Lebanese nun beatified in 1985 and canonized in 2001) and Na’amatallah Al-Hardini (a Lebanese monk who was declared venerable in 1989 and beatified in 1998). The courtyard of Deir Mar Moussa overlooks terraces and the pine mountains of Bzebdine, as well as Mount Kneysseh.
Notable residents
- Said Faris Sakr (1907-1970): First Mayor of the town, 1918-1931
- Nassib Sleiman Sakr (1907-1982): Mayor from 1931-1961.
- Nassib Youssef Sakr (1930s-1985): Founder and president of the Municipality of MarMoussa, 1965.
- Msgnr Augustin Chayban: Preacher, educator and founder of Maronite schools and churches in Dakar, Africa.
- Sgt. Joseph C. Hajj: (1976-2000): Lebanese Army martyr (events of the Donieh). He was a Sergeant in the Lebanese Commando Elite Navy unit; died while serving his country in a counter terrorist strikes against insurgents in North Lebanon.
