Arnoun

Arnoun (Arabic: ارنون‎, Syriac-Aramaic: ܐܪܢܘܢ) is a majority Lebanese Shia village 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) south-east of Nabatiyeh, in Nabatiyeh Governorate, southern Lebanon. The village is located approximately 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from the Israeli border. The village is approximately 550 metres (1,800 feet) above sea level,[1] and approximately one kilometre (0.62 miles) from the Beaufort Castle.

Arnoun

أرنون
City
Arnoun
Location within Lebanon
Coordinates: 33°20′0″N 35°32′0″E
Grid position130/155 L
Country Lebanon
GovernorateNabatieh Governorate
DistrictNabatieh District
Elevation
550 m (1,800 ft)
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Dialing code+961

The noted academic and commentator Fouad Ajami was born in Arnoun.[2]

History

Arnoun is linked to the nearby Beaufort Castle. The town's name is derived from the Aramaic arnoun, meaning "little top", referring to the highland where the Beaufort Castle stands.[1] The castle itself was referred to as Qal'at Shqif Arnoun (Aramaic: the castle of the high rock on the hill), from which the town took its name.

In 1875 Victor Guérin noted that it contained one hundred "Metualis".[3]

Modern era

After the establishment of the Israeli Security Zone in southern Lebanon in 1985, Arnoun lay just outside its boundaries, although, from its position at the Beaufort Castle, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) effectively controlled the village.

On February 17, 1999, after Israel alleged that attacks on IDF forces were launched from Arnoun, the village was formally incorporated into the Security Zone.[4]

On February 26, 1999, thousands of peaceful Lebanese protesters cut through the recently erected barbed wire, effectively freeing the village.

The IDF left Arnoun on May 24, 2000, when it withdrew from the Security Zone.

Notable residents
  • Fouad Ajami, university professor and writer on Middle Eastern issues

References
  1. "Regional Promenade Brochures - Al-Nabatieh" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-07-16. Retrieved 2006-09-07.
  2. "The Native Informant", Adam Schatz, The Nation, April 28, 2003 (accessed August 23, 2016)
  3. Guérin 1880, p. 521
  4. "Israeli jets attack, troops seize village in south Lebanon", CNN, April 16, 1999 (accessed September 6, 2006)

Bibliography
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