About 20 km south of Beirut is the laid back town of Damour. Unlike many Lebanese coasts that touch hillsides and mountains, Damour’s sandy shores and beautiful nature make it unique in the region.
Exuding serenity and charm, this peaceful town goes back very far in time where it was an axis of industries and also of historical events, some of which have been forgotten.
Here are some facts you should know about beautiful Damour, a town you should have on your bucket list.
#1 Damour is derived from the name of the Phoenician god of immortality, Damoros
#2 You’ve probably passed it before, as the Beirut-Tyre highway cuts through it
#3 It served as the capital of Mount Lebanon for around 300 years
#4 It is popular for its sandy beaches
#5 Its beach resorts make it a hot local getaway
#6 Its coasts are sought out by adventurers and water sports enthusiasts
#7 With fertile plains, it is rich in banana plantations and other crops
#8 In the 1800s, it was the flourishing center of the Chouf region
#9 Damour’s natural silk textiles industry employed thousands of workers for centuries
#10 Damour was an active industrial town in earlier centuries, boasting 12 large manufacturing companies
#11 Damour’s Jisr Al-Qadi dates back to the Mamluk era and is named after the judge who ordered it
It was built by Emir Zayn Eddine Al-Tannoukhi who was also a judge (hence the name al-qadi) of Ain Ksour, north of Abey.
The bridge was later widened in 1886 by the Ottoman governor of Mount Lebanon Wassa Pasha, who ordered the building of a second bridge beside it.
#12 The river that flows towards Damour under Jisr Al-Qadi bears the town’s name
#13 Damour is a Lebanese Maronite Christian town that has six churches and several chapels
#13 Damour was on the central axis of successive wars during the last centuries
Historical events took place in Damour, notably:
- The 1302’s battle against invading Cypriots, won by the Crusaders,
- The 1860’s civil war massacre,
- The 1941’s battle that involved Australian troops,
- The 1975’s Palestinian siege of the city that caused the historical Damour Massacre,
- The 1982’s Israeli Invasion that burned down the town’s plantations and caused a mass displacement of its residents towards Beirut and Kesserwan,
- The 2006’s Israeli embargo against Lebanon that destroyed several bridges, including in Damour.
#14 The armored French cruiser Jeanne d’Arc lent support to Damour during WWI
During WWI, sailors of the legendary French cruiser Jeanne d’Arc would disembark in Damour at night to provide the people of Damour with medicines, food, and other needed supplies.
#15 South African army engineers built a railway line from Haifa to Beirut passing by Damour in 1942
The engineers continued the line to Tripoli.