Enfeh
| Enfeh | |
|---|---|
| City | |
 Enfeh
|
|
| Coordinates: 34°21′0″N 35°44′0″E / 34.35000°N 35.73333°ECoordinates: 34°21′0″N 35°44′0″E / 34.35000°N 35.73333°E | |
| Country |
 Lebanon
|
| Governorate | North Governorate |
| District | Koura District |
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) |
| • Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) |
| Dialing code | +961 |
Enfeh(Arabic: انفه), or Enfe, Anfeh, Anfe, is a town in the Koura district of the North Governorate of Lebanon at Latitude 34°21'0"N and Longitude 35°44'0"E. Enfeh borders the villages of Chekka, Al-Qalamoun, Barghoun and Zakroun. It is located 65 Kilometers north of Beirut and 15 Kilometers south of Tripoli. Its total area is 4,937,721 m2, and its population is around 6,500.
The people are primarily Greek Orthodox and Maronite Christians, and Sunni Muslim.
Remains from at least 3,000 years of human occupation lie tangled among the myrtle and brambles of this 400 meter long and 120m wide peninsula. It is partially separated from the land by two great trenches-dug into the bedrock during the Crusader period. While Enfeh has witnessed only minor excavation, Phoenician and Roman walls, wine presses, mosaic floors, and two seventh-century-A.D. chapels lie bare beneath the intense sun and wind. This lovely seaside fishing town is known for its ancient churches and caves. Today Enfeh is also known for its salt production. Close to Enfeh is the Crusader-era Abbey of Balamand, which sits on a promontory overlooking the sea
Today's village of Enfeh is built around the ruins of several short-lived cities going back to the pre-Phoenician period. Natural dwelling caves abound on the surrounding hill of Al-Gheer; the original city lies on a small near-island about half a kilometer into the sea. Its outstanding feature is that it is the only town throughout the eastern coast of the Mediterranean to be carved out of its rocky surroundings. Some of the carvings go all the way back to the Phoenician period, and possibly earlier, as witness to the fact that the name of Enfeh appears in the Tell-Amarna tablets of ancient Egypt; (see letter no. 2 by Yapa-Hadda). which were sent by the governors of the coastal Canaanite cities to the Pharaohs of Egypt asking for help in repelling Amorites intruders (nomad tribes originating from the middle Euphrates region in the North). Letters written by Rib Addi, the King of Byblos, specifically mention the Canaanite city of Enfeh (called “Ampi” in the letters) and state that Enfeh, after being occupied by the Amorites, fought with the Amorites against Byblos. Enfeh was conquered by the Assyrian army in the 7th century B.C., when it was known as "Anpa". The remains of subsequent settlements include dwelling caves, places of worship, cisterns, water tanks and wine presses, as well as steps and roads all carved in the rock. One ancient quarry, known as the Great Trench, was used by the Phoenicians as a dry dock; The Phoenicians used the place as a shipyard for the construction of their vessels, as it was a strategic point on the mediterranean coast.
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