Description - وصف
Al-Ansariah is a Lebanese town located in the Sidon District, one of the districts of the South Governorate.
Ansaria is about 66 km south of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, 19 km south of Sidon, and 17 km north of Tyre. It rises about 144 m above sea level and extends over an area estimated at 7.34 km2. Its semi-rocky terrain is a natural extension of the hills of Jabal Amel, which is characterized by its good air, purity, fresh water and good soil. The town of Al-Babiliyah, in the east of which the Beirut-South highway (the highway) passes, and in its west, the main coastal road passes.
In Ansariyya there is a historical place for a pious saint whose name is "Muhammad Al-Ansari" and perhaps for this reason this village was called (Al-Ansari), and this place is visited by many of the people of the village and neighboring villages to fulfill vows. The town is rich in historical monuments, and the archaeological areas can be divided into three areas:
One of the old town neighborhoods
(1) The central area, where some houses of the old town are stationed so far. Mosaic floors and coins were found at a depth of two meters, most likely dating back to the Byzantine era. Some polished stones from what remained of the stone houses may have been recovered from the ruins of the Byzantine era and used to build houses In the last centuries (2), the eastern region is called Yafed. It is an earthen mound. Lead sarcophagi were found during their dredging, decorated with drawings of the facade of a temple. Parts of it were scattered after their discovery and most of them disappeared. A lot of pottery vessels were found, and this area may be the burial area (3) Region The western slope overlooking the sea, at the bottom of which there are graves carved in the rocks in an arched shape, branching from the inside of the tomb into two arched sides as well, where it becomes a cross-shaped, placed in one of the two spaces, which are in the form of red soil terraces. These graves are similar in this aspect to the prehistoric Adloun tombs In terms of carving it in the rocks, but its horizontal crucified projection may indicate that it dates back to the Byzantine era
It seems that during ancient times the region as a whole was subjected to a strong earthquake that destroyed a large part of it, specifically the central and eastern region, and many relics were buried with it.
