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Mazraat Deir al-Ashayer

Coordinates: 33°34′31″N 36°0′45″E / 33.57528°N 36.01250°E / 33.57528; 36.01250
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Mazraat Deir al-Ashayer
مزرعة دير العشائر
Village
Mazraat Deir al-Ashayer is located in Lebanon
Mazraat Deir al-Ashayer
Mazraat Deir al-Ashayer
Location in Lebanon
Coordinates: 33°34′31″N 36°0′45″E / 33.57528°N 36.01250°E / 33.57528; 36.01250
Country Lebanon
GovernorateBeqaa Governorate
DistrictRashaya District
Area
 • Total
26 km2 (10 sq mi)
Population
 (2014)
 • Total
1,100
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)

Mazraat Deir al-Ashayer (Arabic: مزرعة دير العشائر) is a village located in the Rashaya District of the Beqaa Governorate in Lebanon.[1] It lies near the Lebanon–Syria border, adjacent to a Syrian village with a similar name, Deir al-Ashayer (also known locally as Mazraat Deir al-Ashayer). The two villages are closely connected through social, economic, and historical ties, despite belonging to different countries.

The village has a municipal council made up of nine members, and a town mayor. Residents rely on farming as a main source of income, especially grapes, fruit and wheat. Residents also raise and herd sheep and cows, which have been a good source of milk. Farmers in the village have had difficulty selling their products in modern times.[2]

Deir El Aachayer has a number of local springs, including Ain Halalweh, Ain Shayeb, Ain Rouk, Ain Dibb. The village was once known by the name Deir Mar Sema’an, owing to the Monastery of Saint Simon, known locally as Al Borj, said to have been built by the Romans for preaching, religious ceremonies and practices by disciples of Saint Simon the Baptist. The monastery having been a stronghold for the students, enabling them to expand their teaching in Syria.[3]

History

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Mazraat Deir al-Ashayer, a village in Lebanon near the Syrian border, has played a significant role in regional politics due to its geographic and historical ties to Syria. The village is predominantly Druze, while the adjacent Syrian village of the same name is Sunni, leading to distinct but interconnected social dynamics.[4]

During the 20th century, the village was involved in key political movements.[5] During the 1958 Lebanon crisis, Mazraat Deir al-Ashayer served as a key base for Kamal Jumblatt's Progressive Socialist Party (PSP), facilitating arms and personnel movement from Syria in support of the rebellion.[5] The village was later targeted in a 1972 Israeli airstrike that killed 16 civilians, including children – a significant loss for its then-small population of around 250.[4]

Historically, the village relied on Syria for trade, healthcare, and education, particularly during winter when snow blocked access to Lebanese towns. However, the Syrian civil war disrupted these ties, leading to stricter border controls and economic decline. Despite sectarian differences, social and commercial links between the Lebanese and Syrian villages persisted, including shared labor in agriculture and mutual support during communal events.[4]

In December 2024, Lebanese MP Wael Abou Faour met with residents of both Mazraat Deir al-Ashayer and its Syrian counterpart. He praised the Lebanese Army's role in maintaining stability and announced plans to upgrade the local clinic, reflecting ongoing efforts to address the village's isolation. Abou Faour also expressed hope for democratic reforms in Syria, framing them as beneficial for Lebanon's security.[5]

Location and border status

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Mazraat Deir al-Ashayer is situated near the internationally desputed border area between Lebanon and Syria. There is no fully formalized border demarcation between the two countries in this region, leading to overlapping claims and ambiguity regarding exact administrative boundaries.[6]

Lebanese sources place Mazraat Deir al-Ashayer within Rashaya District, Beqaa Governorate.[4] Conversely, Syrian sources classify the similarly named village as part of Qatana District in Rif Dimashq Governorate according to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS),[7] although a 2021 report by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) identified is as part of Al-Zabadani District.[8]

The ambiguous border status has historically influenced administrative oversight and security arrangements in the area, with the Lebanese Army currently exercising authority over the Lebanese side.[5]

Demographics

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The village is home to approximately 1,100 Lebanese citizens.[4] The Lebanese side of the village is predominantly Druze,[9] while the Syrian counterpart is mostly Sunni Muslim.[4] This religious difference limits intermarriage between the two communities despite strong social and economic interactions across the border.[4]

Roman temple

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Deir El Aachayer Temple
1,250 metres (4,100 ft)
1,250 metres (4,100 ft)
Shown within Lebanon
Locationnear Rashaya
RegionBekaa Valley
Coordinates33°35′21″N 36°01′09″E / 33.589181°N 36.019169°E / 33.589181; 36.019169
Length30 metres (98 ft)
History
BuilderRomans
MaterialStone
CulturesGreek, Roman
Site notes
ConditionRuins
Public accessYes

The village is near to the remains of a substantial Graeco-Roman style temple dedicated to unknown deities, with 30 metres (98 ft) long foundations and columns re-used in local construction.[10] A Greek inscription was found noting that a bench was installed "in the year 242, under Beeliabos, also called Diototos, son of Abedanos, high priest of the gods of Kiboreia". Julien Alquot argued that the bench had liturgical uses as a mobile throne.[11] The era of the gods of Kiboreia is not certain, as is their location, which is not conclusively to be identified with Deir El Aachayer, but was possibly the Roman sanctuary or the name of a settlement in the area. It has been suggested that the name Kiboreia was formed from the Aramaic word kbr, meaning a "place of great abundance".[12]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Geographic.org - Entry about Deir El Aachayer from data supplied by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Bethesda, MD, USA a member of the Intelligence community of the United States of America
  2. ^ "Localiban Entry about Deir El Aachayer". Archived from the original on 2016-03-23. Retrieved 2011-03-29.
  3. ^ Qada' (Caza) Rachaya - Promenade Tourist Brochure, published by The Lebanese Ministry of Tourism - Entry about Deir El Achayer Archived July 13, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ a b c d e f g https://archive.assafir.com/ssr/10701848.html
  5. ^ a b c d "الوكالة الوطنية للإعلام - أبو فاعور من دير العشاير: نأمل أن تنشأ سوريا الديمقراطية المستقلة وأن نتعامل معها من دولة الى دولة". الوكالة الوطنية للإعلام (in Arabic). Retrieved 2025-07-30.
  6. ^ دير العشائر.. قرية منسية اعادتها السياسة للأضواء. okaz.com (in Arabic). 18 May 2006.
  7. ^ General Census of Population and Housing 2004[permanent dead link]. Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Rif Dimashq Governorate. (in Arabic)
  8. ^ مزرعة دير العشاير.. أرض خصبة ومياه نظيفة وموسم خضراوات واعد. Syrian Arab News Agency (in Arabic). 4 July 2021.
  9. ^ British Druze Society - Druze communities in the Middle East Archived September 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ George Taylor (1969). The Roman temples of Lebanon: a pictorial guide. Argonaut. Retrieved 29 March 2011.
  11. ^ Susanne Carlsson (29 April 2010). Hellenistic democracies: freedom, independence and political procedure in some east Greek city-states. Franz Steiner Verlag. ISBN 978-3-515-09265-4. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
  12. ^ Fergus Millar (1993). The Roman Near East, 31 B.C.-A.D. 337. Harvard University Press. pp. 311–. ISBN 978-0-674-77886-3. Retrieved 18 September 2012.

Bibliography

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