Aaitit عيتيت 'Aytit | |
|---|---|
Municipality | |
  Aaitit | |
| Coordinates:33°13′28″N35°18′19″E / 33.22444°N 35.30528°E /33.22444; 35.30528 | |
| Grid position | 178/292PAL |
| Country |  Lebanon |
| Governorate | South Governorate |
| District | Tyre District |
| Area | |
| • Land | 2.76 sq mi (7.1 km2) |
| Elevation | 950 ft (290 m) |
| Population (2011)[citation needed] | |
• Total | 12,000 |
| Time zone | GMT +3 |
Aaitit[1] (Arabic: عيتيت) is a municipality located inTyre District, South Lebanon, north ofQana.
In the early 1860sErnest Renan noted: "Its antiquities are a stone with three circles, two with rays, in which are crosses (not of great age), a grotto, and beside it a goodsarcophagus lid serving to support a press. Near Aitit is a rectangular cemetery, well preserved".[2]
In 1881, thePEF'sSurvey of Western Palestine (SWP) described it as "A village, built of stone, containing about 450Metawileh, situated on hill-top, surrounded by olives and arable cultivation; water supplied fromcisterns and a spring near."[3]
They further noted: "There are traces at this village of ancient remains. It is said by the natives that there was once achurch here. There are broken pillars scattered about, stonelintels, three caves, and three olive-presses, with cisterns."[4]Aitit is mainly occupied by the family of the Mohsens, who have the majority of the village.
Due to it being close toIsrael many attacks have been made againstHezbollah in Aaitit. Most of these incidents were due to the2006 Lebanon War.
As of 2010, Aaitit had a year round population of about 2,500, though it rose to 3,000 in the summers. Some of the population had migrated to Paraguay and Brazil by this point.[5]
In 2014Muslims made up 98.50% of registered voters in Aaitit. 96.87% of the voters wereShiite Muslims.[6]
