Anjar, Lebanon
Anjar
عنجر Անճար | |
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UTC+2 (EET) | |
• Summer (DST) | +3 |
Arab States |
Anjar (meaning "unresolved or running river";[. The total area is about twenty square kilometers (7.7 square miles). Since 1984, the ruins of the
History
The town's foundation is normally attributed to the
After being abandoned in later years, Anjar was resettled in 1939 with several thousand Armenian refugees from the Musa Dagh area. Its neighborhoods are named after the six villages of Musa Dagh: Haji Habibli, Kebusiyeh, Vakif, Kheder Bek, Yoghunoluk and Bitias.[5]
During the civil war, the
Following the civil war, Anjar started to rebuild economically. Many of its inhabitants immigrated to other countries, mainly to
UNESCO World Heritage Site
The Ummayad city ruins cover 114,000 square meters and are surrounded by large, fortified stone walls over two meters thick and seven meters high. The rectangular city design of 370 m by 310 m is based on Roman city planning and architecture with stonework borrowed from the Byzantines. Two large avenues, the
Main monuments:
- The partially rebuilt Grand Palace, 59 m by 70 m, includes a wall and is preceded by a series of arcades. Its central hosh (courtyard) is surrounded by a peristyle.
- The almost square Small Palace, 46 m by 47 m, stands out for its numerous ornamental fragments and its richly decorated central entrance.
- A Mosque, 45 m by 32 m, is located between the two palaces.
- Thermal baths, built on the Roman model.
The numerous fragments of friezes with plant, figurative and geometric motifs are proving of once rich decorated buildings.
Demographics
The majority of Anjar's Armenians are Armenian Apostolics (Orthodox) who belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church and Holy See of Cilicia. Armenian Apostolic Saint Paul Church is the second largest Armenian church in Lebanon.[8]
The Armenian Apostolic community has its own school, Haratch Calouste Gulbenkian Secondary School. In 1940, the chief editor of the Armenian newspaper Haratch in Paris, Shavarsh Missakian, organized a fundraising campaign among the Armenians living in France which enabled the building of the "Haratch" Elementary School next to the newly established St. Paul Armenian Apostolic Church. The official opening of the school took place in 1941. The administration of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation contributed to the expansion of the school, which was named in honor of Calouste Gulbenkian.
Our Lady of the Rosary Armenian Catholic Church in Anjar serves as church for the Armenian Catholics, who also run the Armenian Catholic Sisters School. In the beginning, the school had two divisions, St. Hovsep for the male students and Sisters of Immaculate Conception for the female students. In 1954, these departments were united. 1973 saw the official opening of the Aghajanian Orphan House, already serving as an Armenian Catholic orphanage since 1968.
The Armenian Evangelical Church of Anjar is in operation to serve Anjar's small Armenian Evangelical community. The Protestant community school was established in 1948 by Sister Hedwig Aenishänslein as part of her missionary work in Anjar. In 1953, the school, which had already become an intermediate school, was promoted into a secondary school. It has day classes as well as boarding facilities for students from other regions who stay there throughout the winter.
Economy
Anjar's economy is mostly based on services, with very few agricultural and industrial activities. The biggest private employer is by far the company "Shams" (literally "Sun"), a local family-run business that started out as a small
The municipality is also an important employer. It pays salaries for
Anjar has numerous small family-run businesses, which form the backbone of the local economy, and succeeded in attracting clients from across Lebanon.
See also
- Armenians in Lebanon
- Franco-Armenian relations
- List of Armenian ethnic enclaves
- Battle of Anjar
- 8th century in Lebanon
Gallery
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Arches and columns
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View of site, Anjar
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The Grand Palace
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The tetrapylon, Anjar
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External wall of the Grand Palace, Anjar.
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Armenian St. Poghos Church in Anjar (interior view)
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Armenian Catholic Church in Anjar
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A view of the city
References
- ^ HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH WORLD REPORT 1990 An Annual Review of Developments and the Bush Administration's Policy on Human Rights Worlwide January 1991. Human Rights Watch.
- ^ ANJAR: Demographics
- ^ "Anjar". UNESCO. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
- ^ a b Hillenbrand, Robert (1999). "Anjar and Early Islamic Urbanism". In G. P. Brogiolo and B. Ward-Perkins (ed.). The Idea and Ideal of the Town Between Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages. BRILL. pp. 59–98 [59–60]. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
- ^ Shemmassian, Vahram. "The Settlement of Musa Dagh Armenians in Anjar, Lebanon, 1939-1941". Asbarez. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
- ^ Kevorkian, Noura. "Anjar: Flowers, Goats and Heroes". YouTube. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
- ^ The archaeological site of Anjar
- ^ Musa Dagh Memorial in Anjar, Lebanon
Bibliography
- ISBN 90-04-10633-2.