Azra wa el-Azr

Azra ou el-Azr (العذرا والعذر; also spelled Aazra ouel Aazr or simply Azra) is a municipality located in the Keserwan District of the Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate in Lebanon. The municipality, which consists of the villages of Azra and el-Azr, is about 39 km north of Beirut. It has an average elevation of 750 meters above sea level, a total land area of 113 hectares and is bordered by the villages of Zaaitreh, Zeitoun, Mradiyeh, Jouret Bedran and Ghbaleh.

History
Historically, it is believed that Phoenicians inhabited the region since remains are found in nearby Ghineh, where historians believe is the resting place of the historical figure Adonis. The region was later occupied by Muslim communities before its destruction at the hands of the Mamluks in 1307. The region was abandoned for the next three centuries until Christian families arrived somewhere during the 17th century. Until 1863, Azra was geographically and administratively a part of what was called "Ghbaleh and its farms". In 1863, Azra and Jouret Bedran became a separate entity under the name of "Jouret Bedran and its suburbs", and this, until 1872. In 1872, the inhabitants of Azra, led by Youssef Kamel, then known as Abou Hosn, announced their separation from Jouret Bedran and the installation of their own municipality.

Feasts and festivals
Each summer, the monastery of the village organizes a four-day festival preceding the feast of Saints Peter and Paul on June 29. In addition, Saint Charbel is celebrated on the third Sunday of July, Saint Elijah on July 20, Saint Stephen on August 2 and Saint Dometius on August 7.

Etymology
The etymology of the name can be interpreted in several ways. On the one hand, some assume that the village bears the name of the Virgin Mary, "العذراء" (al-Aazra) in Arabic, while others claim that it is named after the turkey oak tree, "العذر" (al-Aazr) in Arabic, once abundant in the village and its region. On the other hand, it may be of Aramaic origin, "Ezr" meaning the support, the column, or even a herd of sheep or goats.

Places of worship
The main place of worship in the village is the Saint Stephen Church that serves as the seat of the Azra-Jouret Bedran parish, inaugurated in 1792 in a joint initiative from the Kamel, Korkmaz, Zouein, Imad and Ghanem families of Azra and Jouret Bedran. It is the third church ever built in the region, the first being the Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church built in nearby Ghbaleh in 1780 and the second being the Church of Our Lady also built in Ghbaleh in 1789.

Other places of worship are:
 * Monastery of Saints Peter and Paul (built by the Lebanese Maronite Order in 1854)
 * Saint Elijah Church (built by Youssef Rouhana Abi Imad in 1861)
 * Saint Dometius Church (built by Francis Kamel in 1869)
 * Chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes (built by Boutros Imad in 1937)

Activities
The infrastructure of the village is very modern and the communications are very animated. Many believers and pilgrims head to the village monastery to pray and relax spiritually. The monastery carries out a large number of activities. School and teaching, exhibitions and concerts, conferences, prayers, social activities... The superior of the monastery animates through his activities the whole region. The village has a sports stadium, a football team and a basketball team, both participating in local and regional tournaments.

Demography
The village population is around 550 electors. The majority of this population is settled in Jounieh and its suburbs and treat the village as a summer destination to get away from the heat and bustle of the city. The inhabitants of Azra are mainly followers of the Maronite Church.

Families
The first Christians to arrive to the village after the destruction of Ftouh Keserwan by the Mamluks in 1307 were the predecessors of the Hosri family who came from Hasroun and settled in proximity of the Saints Peter and Paul Monastery. They were followed by the Korkmaz and Imad families who came from Aaqoura in 1640 and the Zouein family in 1664. The Ghanem family came from Lehfed and settled in nearby Jouret Bedran sometime during the 17th century. Lastly, the Kamel family arrived sometime during the 18th century from Aaqoura. The majority of the inhabitants of the village today hold the Kamel surname.

The families of Korkmaz and Imad are descended from Korkmaz II, grandson of Prince Korkmaz I of Aleppo, who is of Albanian descent and died in Alexandria in 1439. His father, Abi Korkmaz II, fled Damascus and settled in Ferzol in 1440, then in Yanouh in 1471, where he was baptized with this family. Korkmaz II then moved to Aaqoura. His sons built the Saint Saba Church. Later, in 1640, the sons of Korkmaz IV, great-great-grandson of Korkmaz II, moved to modern-day Azra, which was then part of Ghbaleh and its farms. They were Semaan Korkmaz, forefather of the Korkmaz family, and Gerges Imad, forefather of the Imad family.