Hamat () is a village 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 ...

. It is located 287 meters high on the historic Ras ash-Shaq'a. It is home to the historic shrine and monastery of

Our Lady of Nourieh Our Lady of Nourieh (''Saydet el Nourieh'' in Arabic) is a Shrines to the Virgin Mary, Marian shrine in Hamat, Lebanon. ''Nourieh'' is a derivative of the Arabic word, ''nour'', meaning light. Thus, in English, the Marian shrine can be called, Our ...

. The village is also home to Saint Elias Church, which overlooks the Jawz River, or the River of Walnuts and the coastal town of Batroun, only of the oldest continuously-inhabited cities in the world. Other historic sites are St. Simeon Monastery and Hamat Old Tunnel. The Ras ash-Shaq'a, known in antiquity as the Theoprosopon, is large coastal cape between the ancient cities of Batroun and

Tripoli, Lebanon Tripoli ( ; , , ; , ; see #Names, below) is the largest and most important city in North Lebanon, northern Lebanon and the second-largest city in the country. Situated north of the capital Beirut, it is the capital of the North Governorate ...

that forms a significant barrier along the Lebanese coast.

Demographics

In 2014

Christians A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words '' Christ'' and ''C ...

made up 99.37% of registered voters in Hamat. 88.65% of the voters were

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 ...

Historical Military Use

During the

Lebanese Civil War The Lebanese Civil War ( ) was a multifaceted armed conflict that took place from 1975 to 1990. It resulted in an estimated 150,000 fatalities and led to the exodus of almost one million people from Lebanon. The religious diversity of the ...

, a runway called Pierre Gemayel International Airport was built in Hamat in 1976 by the

Kataeb party The Kataeb Party (), officially the Kataeb Party – Lebanese Social Democratic Party ( '), also known as the Phalangist Party, is a right-wing Christian political party in Lebanon founded by Pierre Gemayel in 1936. The party and its parami ...

for civilian and military use. Before it was finished, the Syrian army took control and used it for helicopters. Since 2005, the Lebanese Army has controlled the site and still uses it for helicopter operations.

References

External links

Hamat
Localiban {{Batroun District Populated places in Batroun District Eastern Orthodox Christian communities in Lebanon