Deir Mimas دير ميماس |
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City | |
Location within Lebanon | |
Coordinates: 33°18′N 35°33′E / 33.300°N 35.550°ECoordinates: 33°18′N 35°33′E / 33.300°N 35.550°E | |
Grid position | 131/151 L |
Country | Lebanon |
Governorate | Nabatieh Governorate |
District | Marjeyoun District |
Highest elevation | 650 m (2,130 ft) |
Lowest elevation | 550 m (1,800 ft) |
Time zone | EET (UTC+2) |
• Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) |
Dialing code | +961 |
Deir Mimas (also spelled Deirmimas, Deir Mamas, and Deir Mimmas) (دير ميماس) is a town 88 km south of Beirut in Lebanon. Named in honor of Saint Mamas, the town overlooks the Litani River and the medieval Beaufort Castle to the west and the snow-capped summits of Mount Hermon to the east.
In 1852, Edward Robinson noted the village from Beaufort Castle.
In 1875 Victor Guérin visited; the population ascribed to Deir Mimas by Guerin was 1,000. With the exception of twenty Protestants, he says, they were all "Schismatic Greeks".
In 1881, the Palestine Exploration Fund's Survey of Western Palestine (SWP) described it as: "A village, built of stone, containing about 300 Christians, surrounded by large groves of olives, and gardens of figs, pomegranates, and vineyards, with arable land to the east. There is a modern church in the village, which is well supplied with water from springs."
In addition to the cultivation of grapes, and figs, Deir Mimas continues to be a major producer of olives and olive oil. It is home to around 150000 olive trees some of which date back hundreds of years. Three olive oil press facilities are available providing their services to olive farmers from Deirmimas and surrounding villages. Olive oil produced in Deirmimas is known to be as one of the best in Lebanon. Olive Oil produced in Deirmimas under the name "Mariams Gold" ranked fourth among the products of more than 80 of the largest producing companies of the world in a contest organised by the German “Biofach 2012″ exhibition at Nuremberg , Germany.
The inhabitants of Deir Mimas are Lebanese and followers of the Eastern Orthodox, Presbyterian and Greek Catholic churches. Latin Church followers exist in the village in addition to a Maronite minority.