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Amioun
Amioun (Arabic: أميون, romanized: Amyūn; Greek: Αμιούν) is the capital of the predominantly Greek Orthodox Koura District (i.e. χώρα, "country" in Greek) in North Lebanon.
The town of Amioun derives its name from the Aramaic language, meaning "'am Yawan" "place of the Greeks", with a possible alternative root fortified town with Roman temples. Amioun is located on the top of an ancient hill dating back to before the 2nd millennium B.C., and the town was called "Amia" during this period. The word Amia was cited in the letters of Tell el Amarna, which were sent in the 14th century B.C. by local governors to their overlords, the pharaohs of Egypt. In his etymological study of the names of Lebanon's towns and villages, historian Anis Freiha asserted that Amia is in turn derived from the Semitic word emun, meaning "invincible fort".
The archaeological survey conducted in 2017 in Amioun by the joint Italian-Lebanese mission has revealed a remarkably long and complex settlement sequence, confirming its identification with the ancient site of Ammiya. Initially a small Early Bronze Age (EBA) rural settlement, Amioun grew significantly in the Middle Bronze Age (MBA), emerging as an urban center and eventually becoming a major political hub in the Late Bronze Age (LBA), dominating the inner Koura plain and rivaling other prominent cities of the region. This development aligns with LBA historical sources from the 16th to 13th centuries BCE. The site's importance persisted into the Iron Age, as evidenced by potential Assyrian pottery finds, indicating strategic relevance during the expansion of the Assyrian Empire. Despite regional upheavals, Amioun/Ammiya maintained its prominence, attracting imperial interest and continuing its key role into the Classical and Medieval periods, making it a crucial site for understanding the archaeology and socio-political history of Northern Lebanon.
Amioun had a population of 2,673 in 1953.
In 2014, Christians made up 97.54% of registered voters in Amioun. 89.60% of the voters were Greek Orthodox.
Amioun has a population of 10,658. Almost all the residents are followers of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch. Amioun is the largest Greek Orthodox town in Lebanon, and 4th-largest in all of the Levant after Mhardeh, Al-Suqaylabiyah and Kafr Buhum (all in Syria).
Amioun is one of the many Lebanese towns where the number of inhabitants is very small compared to the number of its natives who live abroad. Global emigration occurred as far back as the mid 19th century with records showing young men and families migrating to the new world, mainly the Americas (North and South) and Australia. This emigration was greatly hastened after the economic ill fortunes of the silk textile factories after the advent of cheap artificial silk by the far east. Then, successive world wars, The Great Famine of Mount Lebanon, and the Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990) also took their toll. Emigration continues till the present day. Some families are extinct and others are greatly reduced in number. During holidays, especially summer, many of the natives return to visit their relatives.
In the first decade of the 20th century, a significant community from Amioun settled in the Conemaugh Valley, around the city of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. By 1908, a local directory listed twenty individuals from Amioun operating dry goods businesses in the area. These early immigrants laid strong foundations for their community, notably establishing the Saint Mary Antiochian Orthodox Church, which continues to serve the faithful to this day.
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Amioun
Amioun (Arabic: أميون, romanized: Amyūn; Greek: Αμιούν) is the capital of the predominantly Greek Orthodox Koura District (i.e. χώρα, "country" in Greek) in North Lebanon.
The town of Amioun derives its name from the Aramaic language, meaning "'am Yawan" "place of the Greeks", with a possible alternative root fortified town with Roman temples. Amioun is located on the top of an ancient hill dating back to before the 2nd millennium B.C., and the town was called "Amia" during this period. The word Amia was cited in the letters of Tell el Amarna, which were sent in the 14th century B.C. by local governors to their overlords, the pharaohs of Egypt. In his etymological study of the names of Lebanon's towns and villages, historian Anis Freiha asserted that Amia is in turn derived from the Semitic word emun, meaning "invincible fort".
The archaeological survey conducted in 2017 in Amioun by the joint Italian-Lebanese mission has revealed a remarkably long and complex settlement sequence, confirming its identification with the ancient site of Ammiya. Initially a small Early Bronze Age (EBA) rural settlement, Amioun grew significantly in the Middle Bronze Age (MBA), emerging as an urban center and eventually becoming a major political hub in the Late Bronze Age (LBA), dominating the inner Koura plain and rivaling other prominent cities of the region. This development aligns with LBA historical sources from the 16th to 13th centuries BCE. The site's importance persisted into the Iron Age, as evidenced by potential Assyrian pottery finds, indicating strategic relevance during the expansion of the Assyrian Empire. Despite regional upheavals, Amioun/Ammiya maintained its prominence, attracting imperial interest and continuing its key role into the Classical and Medieval periods, making it a crucial site for understanding the archaeology and socio-political history of Northern Lebanon.
Amioun had a population of 2,673 in 1953.
In 2014, Christians made up 97.54% of registered voters in Amioun. 89.60% of the voters were Greek Orthodox.
Amioun has a population of 10,658. Almost all the residents are followers of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch. Amioun is the largest Greek Orthodox town in Lebanon, and 4th-largest in all of the Levant after Mhardeh, Al-Suqaylabiyah and Kafr Buhum (all in Syria).
Amioun is one of the many Lebanese towns where the number of inhabitants is very small compared to the number of its natives who live abroad. Global emigration occurred as far back as the mid 19th century with records showing young men and families migrating to the new world, mainly the Americas (North and South) and Australia. This emigration was greatly hastened after the economic ill fortunes of the silk textile factories after the advent of cheap artificial silk by the far east. Then, successive world wars, The Great Famine of Mount Lebanon, and the Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990) also took their toll. Emigration continues till the present day. Some families are extinct and others are greatly reduced in number. During holidays, especially summer, many of the natives return to visit their relatives.
In the first decade of the 20th century, a significant community from Amioun settled in the Conemaugh Valley, around the city of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. By 1908, a local directory listed twenty individuals from Amioun operating dry goods businesses in the area. These early immigrants laid strong foundations for their community, notably establishing the Saint Mary Antiochian Orthodox Church, which continues to serve the faithful to this day.
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