Mahrouna محرونة | |
|---|---|
Municipality | |
 Mahrouna Mosque in 2008 | |
  Mahrouna | |
| Coordinates:33°13′8.25″N35°20′33.92″E / 33.2189583°N 35.3427556°E /33.2189583; 35.3427556 | |
| Grid position | 182/291PAL |
| Country | Lebanon |
| Governorate | South Governorate |
| District | Tyre |
| Area | |
• Total | 12.65 km2 (4.88 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 400 m (1,300 ft) |
| Population (2014) | |
• Total | 3,800 |
| • Density | 300/km2 (780/sq mi) |
| [a] | |
| Time zone | +2 |
| • Summer (DST) | +3 |
| Postal code | 00961 |
Mahrouna (Arabic:محرونة) is a municipality in theTyre District of theSouth Governorate in southernLebanon. Located approximately 100 km south ofBeirut and 18 km southeast ofTyre, the town sits at an elevation of 400 m above sea level. The only official demographic data available is from the 2014 voter registration records, which list 1,133 registered voters. The population is estimated around 3,800 residents.
British orientalistE. H. Palmer suggested the nameMahrûneh derives from the Arabic term for "'carded' (as cotton)."[2]
In 1875, French archaeologistVictor Guérin documented Mahrouna as a village inhabited bymetawileh (Shia Muslims), noting ancient structural remains, rock-cut tombs,quarries, and a repurposed stone tank.[3][4] The 1881Survey of Western Palestine described it as a stone-built village of approximately 150metawileh residents, surrounded by olive groves, fig trees, and farmland, with access to a spring and cisterns.[5]
A prominent feature of the area is a hill covered inoak andolive trees, which functions as a natural park. The site includes ancient ruins, with large squared stones forming sections of a wall. Local tradition holds these remains to be part of a former fortress. During conflicts in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, including the2006 Lebanon War, portions of the hill sustained damage from aerial bombardments by Israeli jets, resulting in the destruction of oak trees.[6]
Mahrouna was designated a municipality in 2004, with a nine-member council elected for a six-year term. Kamal Wehbe served as its inaugural president. As of 2011, the municipality managed local services under the oversight of Lebanon’s central government.[6]
On 6 November 2024, during theIsraeli invasion of Lebanon, the Mahrouna Mosque was destroyed by an Israeli airstrike.[7][8][9]
According to 2014 voter registration data fromLebanon's Ministry of Interior and Municipalities, Mahrouna had 1,133 registered voters. Of these, 99.12% identified asMuslim, with Shia Muslims comprising 97.53%. Common family names includeWehbe (432 registered voters),Nehme (163), Shorba (91),Awada (47), andMakki (45).[1]
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