Damour
|
Damour الدامور |
|
|---|---|
| City | |
 Damour
|
|
| Coordinates: 33°44′N 35°27′E / 33.733°N 35.450°ECoordinates: 33°44′N 35°27′E / 33.733°N 35.450°E | |
| Country |
 Lebanon
|
| Governorate | Mount Lebanon Governorate |
| District | Chouf District |
| Area | |
| • Total | 10.1 km2 (3.9 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 200 m (700 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 10,000 |
| • Density | 990/km2 (2,600/sq mi) |
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) |
| • Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) |
| Dialing code | +961 |
| Website | http://www.damour-lb.com/ |
Damour (Arabic: الدامور) is a Lebanese Christian town that is 24 km (15 mi) south of Beirut, part of Greater Beirut. The name of the town is derived from the name of the Phoenician god Damoros who symbolized immortality (ديمومة in Arabic).
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 (3.9 sq mi). The Beirut-Tyre Highway separates the plantations. Now dismantled, the track is a stopover.
Now, there exist 6 churches in Damour, of which Notre-Dame de Damour and St Élias are the biggest. We also find three other chapels, including Sainte Thècle, St Michel, which was the first church in Damour, St Maroun under reconstruction and St Joseph. These 6 churches are all Maronite Churches. Before the Lebanese Civil War, Damour had another Catholic Church, Savior's Church.
Because Damour is one of the few cities of the Lebanese coast having a sand beach, and since it is ten minutes from Beirut, Damour attracts tourists and especially water sports enthusiasts. Thus several restaurants, coffees and snacks are located along the beach. There are also a few restaurants at the edges of the Damour river.
Emir Fakhreddine the Great had a great interest in Damour.
In the 19th century, Damour was the a flourishing center of the Chouf region. Its plain was then planted with 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.
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Wikipedia