Mahrouna محرونة، |
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Mahrouna Municipality Building
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Coordinates: 33°13′8.25″N 35°20′33.92″E / 33.2189583°N 35.3427556°ECoordinates: 33°13′8.25″N 35°20′33.92″E / 33.2189583°N 35.3427556°E | |
Grid position | 182/291 PAL |
Country | Lebanon |
Governorate | South Governorate |
District | Tyre |
Time zone | +2 |
• Summer (DST) | +3 (UTC) |
Mahrouna (in Arabic: محرونة، محرونا) is a small agribusiness town located in the south of Lebanon.
It is situated at a distance of 100 kilometres from Beirut the co capital, and 18 kilometres to the southeast of the city of Tyre. Mahrouna stands at a height of 400 meter above sea level. The population is approximately 3800 inhabitant. This increases to 5000 in vacations and summer times, according to a municipal member.
E. H. Palmer wrote that the name Mahrûneh came from "carded (as cotton)".
In 1875 Victor Guérin found it to be a Metawileh village, he further noted: "Here are traces of a surrounding wall, ancient materials, a tomb cut in the rock, and a quarry, a part of which has been formed into a tank."
In 1881, the Palestine Exploration Fund's Survey of Western Palestine (SWP) described it as: "A village, built of stone, containing about 150 Metawileh; no houses of note ; situated on a hill, surrounded by olives, figs, and arable land, with a spring and cisterns."
This peaceful quiet town is rich with its green surrounding. But it is especially famous for its oak trees hill which forms a natural park for the town’s residents. This hill has an ancient ruin at the top. Large squared stones arranged on top of each other which forms part of a solid wall corner.
The residents believe it is the remains of a small castle or stronghold.
Unfortunately, this greenly oak hill was bombarded several times, since the 1970s, by the Israeli jets. As a result, large numbers of the oak trees were burnt at some parts of the hill, especially in 2006.
The town is predominately inhabited by Muslims, though the surrounding area also has a significant Christian minority. Inhabitants are mostly close or distant relatives. Its known families by surnames are: Wehbi, Ne'meh, Awada, Makki, Shawraba, Salman, Abdullah and Kasem.
Mahrouna became a municipality in 2004. In this municipal elections, 9 municipal council members were elected for six years. Now The municipality runs the services required for the town independently. Although, it remains under the control of the central government.