Mghayreh

Mghayreh (Arabic: مغيره,المغيري also spelled Mughayri) is a municipality in the Byblos District of Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate, Lebanon. It is 82 kilometers north of Beirut. Mghayreh has an average elevation of 1,300 meters above sea level and a total land area of 263 hectares. Its inhabitants are predominantly Maronite Catholics and Shia Muslims.^[1] It's situated on the slopes of Joubbat El Mnaitra and is bordered by Aqoura to the south, Afqa to the west and Qartaba to the east.

History

Patriarch and 17th century historian Estephan El Douaihy mentions that the monastery of Saint-Jeries-el-Azzra became the seat of the Maronite Patriarchate in 939.

Archaeology

Mghayreh's oldest ruins include the 'blue convent', a Roman temple dedicated to Adonis and Astarte in the 2nd century AD. The temple was also dedicated to the goddess Diana.

The town's Church of Our Lady of Yanouh dates back to the Crusader period.

Agriculture

Mghayreh produces many varieties of apples thanks to its temperate summer climate. Varieties include the Golden and Starking apples. Other agricultural produces include apricot, plum, peach, pear, pomegranate and other fruits.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mghayra.