History > Amioun in History
Amioun is a very old town whose history can be traced back to the earliest periods. In the past years, a number of French and German orientalists – foremost of whom was the Frenchman Ernest Renan – visited it, studied its archaeological sites, and wrote a lot about them. Amioun’s history goes back to the middle of the eolithic period. The eolithic groups that had been in this region before the arrival of the ancient Semitic peoples (around 4000 B.C. or even earlier) continued to live there during the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods. This is supported by the existence of small caves in the rocky hill of Amioun, that is, in the ancient part of the town. It is in this part of Amioun that we have two of the oldest archaeological sites in the town : the cavities of the “Sheer” (the Arabic word for cliff), above which St John’s church stands, and the Cathedral of St George “ el Dahleez” ( the Arabic word for tunnel).
Amioun has been inhabited since the earliest periods. In his book “The Monuments of Lebanon”, Father Lamens mentions a number of towns, one of which is “Amia” (p.76). According to Condor, this town of “Amia” is none other than present-day Amioun. If Condor’s claim is true, Amioun may be considered as the oldest town in the interior of Lebanon. ( See Condor, the Tell el Amarna Tablets, 2nd ed., London, 1894).
Amioun’s past has left its mark on different historical periods, whether ancient, medieval, or modern. Some of its monuments can be traced back to a period when different pagan religions prevailed. With the advent of Christianity, the pagan temples in Amioun were transformed into churches whose bells signalled the triumph of monotheism.
Amioun is a very old town whose history can be traced back to the earliest periods. In the past years, a number of French and German orientalists – foremost of whom was the Frenchman Ernest Renan – visited it, studied its archaeological sites, and wrote a lot about them. Amioun’s history goes back to the middle of the eolithic period. The eolithic groups that had been in this region before the arrival of the ancient Semitic peoples (around 4000 B.C. or even earlier) continued to live there during the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods. This is supported by the existence of small caves in the rocky hill of Amioun, that is, in the ancient part of the town. It is in this part of Amioun that we have two of the oldest archaeological sites in the town : the cavities of the “Sheer” (the Arabic word for cliff), above which St John’s church stands, and the Cathedral of St George “ el Dahleez” ( the Arabic word for tunnel).
Amioun has been inhabited since the earliest periods. In his book “The Monuments of Lebanon”, Father Lamens mentions a number of towns, one of which is “Amia” (p.76). According to Condor, this town of “Amia” is none other than present-day Amioun. If Condor’s claim is true, Amioun may be considered as the oldest town in the interior of Lebanon. ( See Condor, the Tell el Amarna Tablets, 2nd ed., London, 1894).
Amioun’s past has left its mark on different historical periods, whether ancient, medieval, or modern. Some of its monuments can be traced back to a period when different pagan religions prevailed. With the advent of Christianity, the pagan temples in Amioun were transformed into churches whose bells signalled the triumph of monotheism.