View source for Ain Traz

{{Eastern Christianity}}
The '''Ain Traz Seminary''' of the [[Melkite Greek Catholic Church]], located southeast of [[Beirut]], [[Lebanon]], has served various roles during its 200-year history.
==History==
The village of Ain Traz was home to the Maronite Saad clan, members of whom where French Consuls in Beirut during the mid-eighteenth century.<ref>[[Kamal Salibi|Salibi, Kamal]] (2019, 1st edition 1988) ''A House of Many Mansions. The history of Lebanon reconsidered.'' [[I.B. Tauris]]. {{ISBN|978-1-8606-4912-7}} p.147</ref> The seminary was founded in 1811 by Melkite Patriarch [[Agapius II Matar]]. After having been looted by the [[Druze]] in 1841 and in 1845, it was re-opened in 1870.<ref>
{{cite web
| title =  The Patriarchal See of Antioch - Damascus
| publisher =  Global Melkite Association
| url =  http://www.melkites.org/en/ea.php
| access-date =  2008-09-26| archive-url =  https://web.archive.org/web/20080828052351/http://www.melkites.org/en/ea.php| archive-date =  28 August 2008| url-status =  dead| df =  dmy-all}}
</ref>
After the foundation of the Melkite Seminary of St. Anne at Jerusalem, Ain Traz was no longer used as a seminary.<ref>King (2007), p. 95</ref> Instead, it was then used for late vocations and for married men preparing for the priesthood. It also served as a [[monastery]] and as summer residence for the Melkite patriarch. Starting in 1948 it was also used by Patriarch [[Maximos IV Sayegh|Maximos IV]] for the annual meetings of the Melkite Synod of Bishops. became yearly events. Throughout its history the facility hosted several important Melkite councils, such as the legislative synod convened in 1909 by Patriarch [[Cyril VIII Jaha]].<ref>Descy (1993), p. 66</ref>
In 1983, during the violence following the [[Lebanese Civil War]], Ain Traz  was looted and burned, resulting in the loss of much of the patriarchal library and archives. The new patriarchal summer residence in [[Rabweh]], completed in 1977, replaced Ain Traz. However, Ain Traz has been restored and is once again used for synods.{{citation needed|date=August 2018}}
==Notes==
{{Reflist}}
==References==
*{{cite book
| last = Descy
| first = Serge
| title = The Melkite Church
| publisher = Sophia Press
| year = 1993
| location = Boston
}}
*{{cite book
| last = King
| first = Archdale
| title = The Rites of Eastern Christendom
| publisher = Gorgias Press LLC
| year = 2007
| location = Boston
| isbn = 978-1-59333-392-8
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=hprU9PDXS1kC&dq=Ain+Traz&pg=PA94}}
*{{cite web
| title =  The Patriarchal See of Antioch - Damascus
| publisher =  Global Melkite Association
| url =  http://www.melkites.org/en/ea.php
| access-date =  2008-09-26| archive-url =  https://web.archive.org/web/20080828052351/http://www.melkites.org/en/ea.php| archive-date =  28 August 2008| url-status =  dead| df =  dmy-all}}
==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20030417235752/http://www.kwtelecom.com/heraldry/lazarus/history.html Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch, Alexandria and Jerusalem]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20030417235752/http://www.kwtelecom.com/heraldry/lazarus/history.html L'Église Melkite/The Melkite Church].
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080927014042/http://www.mliles.com/melkitecatholic/index.shtml Melkite Catholic Web Ring].
*[http://phoenicia.org/melkites.html Extensive history of the Melkite Church]
{{Authority control}}
{{Coord|33|44|6|N|35|34|50|E|type:city_scale:50000|display=title}}
[[Category:1811 establishments]]
[[Category:Melkite Greek Catholic Church in Lebanon]]
{{Lebanon-church-stub}}
{{EasternCatholic-church-stub}}