The name Meziara is of ancient Semitic derivation,
and means the mountain edge, the cliff, or the look-out.
It could also be interpreted as house-visit, forcing,
getting into difficulty, or even strangling.
Several localities are attached to Meziara and its
municipal authority, such as Homeiss and El-Harf.
It stands a little over sixty-five miles from the
capital Beirut in the administrative district (cazaI)
of Zghorta at an altitude of about three thousand
feet. The region is mountainous and thickly wooded,
with oak trees, orchards of olive trees, and vineyards.
The town of Meziara as we see it now is quite modern
and prosperous-looking, with many luxurious residences
and roads and an infrastructure well cared for. In
every dwelling one finds that several members of the
family went to Nigeria, where they labored, worked
and devoted themselves in order to send the money
gained for the construction of the village and for
the execution of various other projects in Lebanon.
In the very center of the town there stands the parish
church of Our Lady of Meziara, a venerable and attractive
building, spacious, and extensively decorated with
mural paintings along the sides, on the ceiling and
around the altar. The people of Meziara have a strong
devotion to the Holy Virgin and are greatly attached
to their church.
Every summer many emigrants return from Africa for
the Assumption of Our Lady, Es-Saydeh, and celebrate
this feast so beloved in Lebanon by organizing on
the eve a great festivity in the Meziara Club. The
menu is rich and varied, with a specially cooked dish
known as Hrisseh, having a foundation of wheat and
kinds of meat.
Meziara is a typical Maronite village, with the faithful
practicing their faith with fervor. Most of the inhabitants
follow the liberal professions as doctors, attorneys,
bankers, industrialists, businessmen and contractors.
Some of them have a secondary place of residence somewhere
along the coast, in Kessrewan or Beirut, particularly
in the large residential and commercial blocks.
Recently a big new project has been launched at the
entrance to Meziara, in homage to the beloved Virgin
Mary, Mother of Mercy. This takes the form of a spacious
park with walks marked with clumps of trees including
olive and oak. There are nooks with statuary representing
scenes from the Gospels such as the Nativity, the
Flight into Egypt, the Baptism of Christ, the Marriage
at Cana, and the Crucifixion.
It is said that a certain Marcel Shaghoury had a vision
leading him to fulfill a vow. Sculptors and masons
set to work to produce a number of representations
in white limestone, forming an impressive collection
on the hillside giving on to the distant mountains
of the Zghorta district. Inside the park there is
a church, a bold structure dedicated to the Holy Virgin
Mother of Mercy. In this way the garden has become
not merely a public attraction but also a site conducive
to prayer, where among abundant greenery one finds
long stretches adorned with sculpture.
The benefactor also made a place of retirement to
assure the welfare of the elderly, with doctors and
nurses always on duty, to serve up to one hundred
people advanced in years. There is a sewing workshop
allowing women young and old without qualification
to gain a livelihood. This, with the upkeep of the
garden surrounding the church, and in fact the whole
project, is financed by the above-mentioned Marcel
Shaghoury.
One can easily spend a whole day at Meziara visiting
the village and its surrounding region, with the residences,
clubs, and restaurants. A project consisting of a
Foundation dedicated to one of the illustrious sons
of Meziara (Michel Attrib) is under way in the form
of a village having all the facilities of a town.
Meziara is well worth a visit.
Joseph Matar - Translation from the French:
Kenneth Mortimer
- Miziara - The Church: >> View
Movie << (2014-08-15)
- Miziara - The Park: >> View
Movie << (2014-08-15)
- Miziara - The Park: >> View
Movie << (2014-08-15)
