History
Amioun is a very old settlement whose history can be traced back to the Paleolithic period. This is supported by the number of small caves built in the old city's rocks. In the past years, a number of French and German orientalists – foremost of whom was the Frenchman Ernest Renan – visited it, studied its archaeological sites and wrote about them. The ancient Semitic peoples are thought to have arrived in the region around 4000 B.C.
In his book “The Monuments of Lebanon”, Father Lamens mentions a number of towns, one of which is “Amia” (p.76). If this connection is correct, Amioun may be considered as the oldest town in the interior of Lebanon.
Amioun’s past has left its mark on different historical periods, whether ancient, medieval, or modern. Some of its monuments can be traced back to a period when different pagan religions prevailed. With the advent of Christianity, the pagan temples in Amioun were eventually transformed into churches.
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