Azra wa el-Azr

Azra ou el-Azr
العذرا والعذر
Azra
Municipality
Azra ou el-Azr
Location in Lebanon
Coordinates: 34°3′44″N 35°42′17″E / 34.06222°N 35.70472°E / 34.06222; 35.70472
Country  Lebanon
Governorate Mount Lebanon
District Keserwan
Area
 • Total 1.13 km2 (0.44 sq mi)
Elevation 750 m (2,460 ft)
Time zone UTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST) UTC+3 (EEST)

Azra ou el-Azr (Arabic: العذرا والعذر‎; also spelled Aazra ouel Aazr or simply Azra) is a municipality located in the Keserwan District of the Mount Lebanon Governorate in Lebanon.
The municipality, which consists of the villages of Azra and el-Azr, is about 39 kilometres (24 mi) north of Beirut.[1] It has an average elevation of 750 meters above sea level, a total land area of 113 hectares[1] and is bordered by the villages of Zaaitreh, Zeitoun, Mradiyeh, Jouret Bedran and Ghbaleh.

Feasts and festivals

Each summer, the monastery of the village organizes a four-day festival preceding the feast of Saints Peter and Paul on June 29. In addition, Saint Charbel is celebrated on the third Sunday of July, Saint Elias on July 20, Saint Stephen on August 2 and Saint Dometius on August 7.

Notable people

  • Elie Chaker Kamel, first advocate of the village
  • Maurice Elias Imad, first doctor of the village
  • Youssef Imad, prominent historian
  • Maurice Kamel, writer, journalist and art critic, author of The Legend of the Mountain

Etymology

The etymology of the name can be interpreted in several ways. On the one hand, some assume that the village bears the name of the Virgin, "عذراء" in Arabic, while others claim that it is named after the tree of "Ezr", once abundant in the village and its region. On the other hand, it may be of Aramaic origin, "Ezr" meaning the support, the column, or even a herd of sheep or goats.

Places of worship

The village has five places of worship at its disposal:

  • Monastery of Sts. Peter and Paul (inaugurated in 1854)
  • St. Elijah Church
  • St. Stephen Church
  • St. Dometius Church
  • Chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes

Activities

The infrastructure of the village is very modern and the communications are very animated. Many believers and pilgrims head to the village monastery to pray and relax spiritually.
The monastery carries out a large number of activities. School and teaching, exhibitions and concerts, conferences, prayers, social activities ... The superior of the monastery animates through his activities the whole region.
The village has a sports stadium, a football team and a basketball team, both participating in local and regional tournaments.

Demography

The village population is around 550 electors. The majority of this population is settled in Jounieh and its suburbs and treat the village as a summer destination to get away from the heat and bustle of the city.
The inhabitants of Aazra are mainly followers of the Maronite Church.

Families

The major surname in Aazra is Kamel. The majority of those who bear this name are generally from the village. There are also inhabitants from the Imad, Ghanem, Korkmaz, Hosri and Zouein families.
The Ghanem family and the Hosri family occupy the lower district of el-Azr, while the rest live in the upper part of the village.

References

  1. 1 2 "Aazra Ouel Aazr". Localiban. Localiban. 2008-01-19. Retrieved 2016-02-26.


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