Ballouneh


Ballouneh is a small town and municipality in the Keserwan District of the Mount Lebanon Governorate of Lebanon. It is located 18 kilometers north of Beirut. It has an approximate area of 3.93 square kilometers and an average elevation of 650 meters above sea level. Ballouneh's inhabitants are predominantly Maronite Catholics, although Christians from other denominations also live in the town.

Etymology

There are two versions regarding the origin of the word Ballouneh, either deriving from the Syriac word ballani/ballana meaning bath or pertaining to the Greek name of the god Apollo. That said, there is a third source that links the origin of the word back to the Italian Bella Luna, meaning "beautiful moon".

Notable sites