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The
Amioun you want to visit is the one
perched on a 364 meter-long cliff, not
the new town along the highway that
brings you into the area called Koura.
Before you leave the highway level,
take a good look the cliff, whose façade
is dotted with a series of ancient
tomb openings. This is Amioun's
calling card. Two roads lead to the
left from the highway, bringing you
cliffside and into this picturesque
town.
Known as Ammiya in the second
millennium B.C., the modern town of
Amioun lies on an important
archaeological tell. Of major interest
are the churches of Mar Jurius (St.
George), built on the cella of a Roman
temple, and Mar Fauqa, or St. Phocas,
built by local architects during the
Crusader period. The entire interior
of St. Phocas is covered with
paintings of the 12th and 13th
centuries. A third church is the
modern red-roofed Mar Youhanna (St.
John) perched on a rocky cliff with
tomb openings on its southeastern façade.Near
the old town government building, or
"Serail" ask for the Chapel
of Marina, an ancient burial vault
converted into a chapel.
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Major
Cities - Amioun
