Around 88 km south of Beirut is a hidden jewel overlooking the Litani River called Deir Mimas. It’s a peaceful village with traditional stone houses, old churches, groves of olives, and ample with orchards.
Let us introduce you to Deir Mimas through some of its most relevance things:
#1 The village is named in honor of a Saint
Deir (Semitic) meaning house or convent and Mimas refers to Saint Memas, to whom the village is named in honor of. The above photo is of the Convent of Deir Mimas in the village.
#2 Deir Mimas Monastery is over 600 years old
The Byzantine monastery was built around 1404 AD and restored many times due to decay. Its reconstruction was financed by Qatar and it reopened in 2010, according to a Deir Mimas’ website.
#3 Deir Mimas is a heaven of olive oil
Deir Mimas is known for its olives and olive oil production with 4 old mills, 52 water sources, and a waterfall. Their olive oil is claimed to be one of the best in all of Lebanon.
#4 Deir Mimas’ olive oil is an award-winner
“Marimas Gold” ranked fourth in Top Ten Organic Olive Oils at the Biofach fair in 2012 in Nuremberg, Germany.
#5 A land blessed by mother nature
Other than olives, the village is known for its grapes, figs, and more. In Deir Mimas, you can also find water basil, wild asparagus, mallow, rocket, marjoram, swiss chard, wild spinach, fennel, zaatar, and more.
#6 A town of homemade food artisans
Deir Mimas’ residents are famous for creating their own products straight from the land, such as zaatar, molasses, honey, fresh jams, pickles, labneh, laban, keshek, sharab al ward (rose juice), as well as natural olive oil soaps and handmade items.
#7 Beaufort Castle
Nearby the village is the famous Crusader fortress: the historical Beaufort Castle.
#8 The village is graced by a major river
Deir Mimas is located by the Litani River, an important source of water in the south and the longest river in Lebanon.
#9 Deir Mimas is a green destination for outdoor adventurers
There are regular organized hiking tours that take groups through the hills and fields of the village, the Litani River, the medieval castle of Beaufort, and the old streets and churches.
#10 Some of the oldest Olive Trees in Lebanon are found in Deir Mimas
Deir Mimas is home to over 100,000 olive trees, some of which are hundreds of years old.
#11 It is a homey village known for its friendly, down-to-earth people
#12 The Initiative “From The Villages” took off from Deir Mimas
From The Villages is an initiative launched by young graduates to support the farmers and artisans of Deir Mimas, and support the Lebanese Lira. They went on to include 2 neighboring villages, and are heading towards covering more.
