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Damour's
history has been greatly affected with
its geography. The town owes its name to
a Phoenician god, Damuras or Demarus,
who was the father to the better-known
Melkart, the "god of the
city", the god of Tyre. The river
Damour meets a minor river in a deep
valley of the Damour area. The plain of
Damour is one of very rare green spots
left on the Lebanese coast, and has the
distinguished past of serving for more
than two centuries (17th-20th) as the
silk capital of Lebanon. Since the middle of the 20th
century, citrus and eventually banana
plantations have become the major
agriculture of the Damour plain. Damour's
strategic position about 20 kilometers
south of Beirut made it the site of the
only 2nd World War battle in Lebanon in
1941.
Nearly
all the inhabitants of Damour left it
during this battle.
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When
Damour fell to the Allies, Beirut was
proclaimed an open city and General
Charles De Gaulle was able to enter
the Lebanese capital without a fight.
In the 19th and 20th centuries, Damour
was also unfortunately the prey of
local and regional fighting. The last
episode (1976) led to the complete
destruction and evacuation of all
inhabitants. The "diaspora"
lasted over 17 years. We are now in
the process of rebuilding, a task that
is proving difficult and challenging.
To date, about 1000 out of 3000 (1976
figure) families have returned. We
rebuilt our main cathedral and most
vital services, and are contemplating
a major plan that should bring our
town back to and surpass its vibrant
past (see section on municipal
accomplishments). The coastal
Mediterranean town, which in essence
is on the "road to
Jerusalem" in times of peace in
the Middle Eastern region, is looking
to the future with great hopes.
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Major
Cities - Damour