Marmarita

Marmarita (Arabic: مرمريتا‎, Syriac: ܡܪܡܪܝܬܐ‎, Marmarītā) is a village in northwestern Syria, located west of Homs. Marmarita is one of the largest villages in Wadi al-Nasarah ("Valley of the Christians"), a region north of Talkalakh. In 2004, Marmarita had a population of 2,206, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Its inhabitants are predominantly Greek Orthodox Christians and is one of the largest Christian villages in the Wadi al-Nasara ('valley of the Christians'). Marmarita is a popular summer destination and tourist attraction in Syria. The village has been part of the Homs Governorate since 1953; prior to that, it was part of the Latakia Governorate.

Etymology

The name Marmarita is believed to be derived from the Syriac word Marmanitha, meaning "a place that overlooks" in possible reference to Marmarita's situation above the Akkar Plateau and Mediterranean Sea.

History

Marmarita was settled in the early 17th century by four farming families from Lebanon and the Hauran plateau. These families built three churches (St. John, St. Saba, and St. Boutros) which still remain on the outskirts of the village. Local folklore suggests that the site of the village may have been occupied as early as the 6th century CE, but any habitation was destroyed by a volcanic eruption of the Levant Fault zone. No evidence of earlier Phoenician settlement was found.