Batroun

Batroun (Arabic البترون, DMG al - Batroun ) is a coastal town in the North Governorate of Lebanon and the seat of a Roman Catholic diocese. The name is derived from the Greek Bothrys and was later Latinized to Botrus. Strabo, Pliny and Ptolemy mentioned the Hellenistic colony.

Batroun is the capital of the district of the same name. The city is located about 50 kilometers north of Beirut and 25 kilometers south of Tripoli. Beach resorts and lively nightlife make Batroun becoming a popular tourist destination. The city is surrounded by lemon groves and known since the beginning of the 20th century for the fresh lemonade that is made from it.

In 1932 there were 2136 inhabitants, who were mostly Maronites. For 2010 15.386 inhabitants were calculated.

History

Batroun is located on a headland, which was colonized by the Phoenicians. In ancient times, the place was named Theoprosopon, in the Byzantine period, it was called the Cape Lithprosopon. The foundation of the city dates back to Ithobal I., king of Tyre, whose daughter Dschesabel ( 897-866 BC ) married Ahab.

In Roman times, Batroun belonged to the province of Phoenicia Prima and during the Christianization of the city was the seat of a Suffraganbischofes of the Patriarch of Antioch.

In the year 551 Batroun was destroyed by an earthquake. Historians say that the natural harbor created by the fact.

From the 10th century was Batroun seat of a Greek Orthodox diocese and the bishops Porphyry (451 ), Elias (512 ) and Stephan ( 553 ) were from here. At the time, Batroun, the first with the conquest by the Muslims got this name when Petro Union was known.

At the time of the Crusades in the 12th and 13th centuries Batroun formed an independent dominion within the County of Tripoli. From this period also in the northwest from the city crusader castle Mousaylaha comes. 1282 Batroun was conquered by the Mamluks.

Under Ottoman rule was Batroun administrative center and the seat of a Maronite diocese.

Notable people who come from Batroun, include the Lebanese MPs Boutros Harb, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament Farid Mkari and the singer Joseph Attieh.