Antelias () is a
city
A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
in
Lebanon
Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...
in the
Matn District of the
Mount Lebanon Governorate. It is located around 5 km to the north of
Beirut
Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...
.
Etymology
The name is originally Greek, ἀντήλιος – from ἀντί(anti) "contra" and ἥλιος (helios) "sun" – meaning "facing the sun".
Municipality
The municipality of Antelias - Naqqach is located in the Kaza of
Metn in
Mount Lebanon
Mount Lebanon (, ; , ; ) is a mountain range in Lebanon. It is about long and averages above in elevation, with its peak at . The range provides a typical alpine climate year-round.
Mount Lebanon is well-known for its snow-covered mountains, ...
, one of the eight mohafazats (governorates) of Lebanon. Antelias - Naqqach is 8 kilometers (4.9712 mi) from Beyrouth (Beirut), the capital of Lebanon. Its elevation is 10 meters (32.81 ft; 10.936 yd) above sea level. Antelias - Naqqach surface stretches for 193 hectares (1.93 km
2 - 0.74498 mi
2).
Archaeological interest
Antelias is home to the site of
Ksar Akil, where the region's oldest remains of a human being have been found: a 30,000-year-old man near the caves of Ksar Akil. The skull of the body found was sent to the Beirut National Museum and the remains were shipped to the United States for conservation and study.
Those caves are also well coveted by known
speleologists who have explored their passageways.
Antelias cave was also located east of the town until it was completely destroyed by
dynamite
Dynamite is an explosive made of nitroglycerin, sorbents (such as powdered shells or clay), and Stabilizer (chemistry), stabilizers. It was invented by the Swedish people, Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel in Geesthacht, Northern German ...
in 1964. Discoveries from Antelias are housed at the
Museum of Lebanese Prehistory.
Antelias is also the site of the St-Elie Church, built in 1895. The St-Elie Church holds celebrations on the week of 20 July. A variety of activities are offered to the public such as plays, concerts, a fair and food, sweet stands and fireworks.
Historical interest
Antelias (The St Elie Convent in particular) was the venue for the signature of a historical treaty (in Arabic: ''Ammiyat Antelias'') between several communities in Lebanon to unite against the oppression of the Egyptian occupation and their allies in the mid-19th century, precisely in 1840. The
Christian
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
and
Druze
The Druze ( ; , ' or ', , '), who Endonym and exonym, call themselves al-Muwaḥḥidūn (), are an Arabs, Arab Eastern esotericism, esoteric Religious denomination, religious group from West Asia who adhere to the Druze faith, an Abrahamic ...
communities were the main parties in that treaty. The treaty did not however prevent a fierce war between the two parties in 1860 which led to tens of thousands of victims.
On 29 March 1991 a car bomb in Antelias killed three people.
The first building containing an elevator was built in Antelias, it was built by the Chemali family.
Religion

Antelias is the seat of the
Catholicos of Cilicia of the
Armenian Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia.
Its
Cathedral
A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...
of St. Elias is the episcopal see of the
Maronite Catholic Archeparchy of Antelias
The Maronite Catholic Archeparchy of Antelias (informally Antelias of the Maronites) (in Latin: Archieparchia Anteliensis Maronitarum) is a Maronite ( Antiochian Rite, Arabic), non-Metropolitan Archeparchy (Eastern Catholic Archdiocese) in north ...
.
Other important religious buildings include the
St-Elie Maronite
Maronites (; ) are a Syriac Christianity, Syriac Christian ethnoreligious group native to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant (particularly Lebanon) whose members belong to the Maronite Church. The largest concentration has traditionally re ...
convent
A convent is an enclosed community of monks, nuns, friars or religious sisters. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community.
The term is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...
with its two
churches and the
St. Mikhael Greek Orthodox
Greek Orthodox Church (, , ) is a term that can refer to any one of three classes of Christian Churches, each associated in some way with Greek Christianity, Levantine Arabic-speaking Christians or more broadly the rite used in the Eastern Rom ...
church. There is one
Sunni
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Mu ...
mosque
A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard.
Originally, mosques were si ...
located in the town.
Geography
Antelias is composed of a coastal fertile plain and a hilly region more to the east. There is also a narrower plain on the sides of the Antelias river, which originates from a nearby source (Fawar) and runs east west to discharge in the
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...
. Antelias river is highly eutrophied due to the strong urbanization and the harmful effect of the untreated used waters.
Until the early 1990s, the coastal plain of Antelias mostly consisted of open areas planted with orange and banana trees. Very few houses could be seen in the coastal plain. The strips along the Antelias river also used to be planted with orange trees.
Due to the vast
urbanization
Urbanization (or urbanisation in British English) is the population shift from Rural area, rural to urban areas, the corresponding decrease in the proportion of people living in rural areas, and the ways in which societies adapt to this change. ...
since the second half of the last century, most green areas have been removed and replaced by residential and commercial buildings, thus creating a serious environmental impact on the area. Very few if any such green areas still exist.
Strategic position
Antelias is considered the gate to the northern
Matn
Matn () is an Islamic term that is used in relation to Hadith terminology. It means the text of the hadith, excluding the isnad.
Use
A hadith is made of both an isnad (chain of transmission) and a matn.
A hadith would typically adopt the f ...
regions. The Matn is one of the most prosperous regions of Lebanon, including a number of factories, commercial malls and important schools.
Antelias is situated between Beirut and the city of
Jounieh and its coastal highway witnesses a daily rush of traffic. As previously stated, Antelias is the gateway to
Bikfaya,
Dhour el Chweir,
Baskinta and
Aintoura, all renowned summer resorts and the Antelias-Bikfaya road is well known to play that linkage role.
Commercial interest
Antelias holds many renowned malls such as ABC and Le Mall, supermarkets such as Spinneys and Bou Kahlil and movie theaters Cine St Elie, Grands Cinemas and CineMall. Adding to this a street dedicated to banks, that has more than five different banks.
Antelias has also a strip that offers a selection of different restaurants offering a variety of cuisines such as Japanese: Yen, Yabani and Tsunami, Lebanese : Petit cafe, Keif and Lebnene, American:Spot and Public, Italian: Pinocchio, Mexican: Carlito's and French: L'escroc.
Touristic interest

Antelias is the home to a large Marina and beach front that attracts people from neighbouring and even distant localities. Garden Tower was the first hotel built in Antelias area, in the immediate vicinity of the
Catholicosate of Cilicia. Also Antelias has a very famous river that passes through its streets.
Cultural interest
Antelias features an annual Book Fair event sponsored by the
Antelias Cultural Movement.
The Cultural Movement itself is an organization headquartered in Antelias and it holds periodic events such as political discussions, book reviews, theatrical plays and the like.
Antelias is also the home of the
Rahbani Brothers who have given so much to the World Music Heritage. Antelias inspired the Rahbanis for years. There is also a street dedicated to the Rahbani brothers in Antelias.
Rahbani Brothers Street
/ref>
References
External links
Localiban
{{Authority control
Populated places in Matn District
Armenian communities in Lebanon
Christian communities in Lebanon
Christian cities in Lebanon