• Maronite: 83%
• Greek Orthodox: 4%
• Sunni: 11.7%
• Other: 1.3%

The Sunni are present in the towns of I’al, Al-Qadiriyah, Harat al-Fawar, Eshash Alma, Mazraat Hrayqes, Kfarhata and Miryatah, the latter having made headlines recently after a man from the town perpetrated the most atrocious murder, killing his 7-month pregnant wife.

Etymology

According to Aniss Fraiha, ‘Miryatah’ is a Syrian word, meaning the place where grapes are crushed and squeezed for making wine. It is likely that the town was a venue for the production of wine and was thus given its name.

Location

Miryatah is located in the Qada’a of Zgharta, 90 km from Beirut, at an altitude of 200 m above the sea level. The town can be reached by the Tipoli-Fawar-Alma route.

Population

The registered population in Miryatah is estimated at 3,200 people who are all Sunni. There are 400 houses in the town.

Voters

In 2013, Miryatah’s registered voters numbered 2,010 compared to 1,883 and 1,347 in 2010 and 2000 respectively. Voters are distributed over the following families:

• Ajaj: 672
• Ghourani: 291
• Iyass: 142
• Hamza: 106
• Qadour: 93
• Assaad: 78
• Zreiq: 65
• Ayoush: 62
• Abul Rahman: 38
• Amoun: 35
• Haidar: 34
• Abdallah: 33
• Ibrahim: 32
• Khodr: 30
• Dennawi: 28
• Al-Sayyed: 25
• Zraiqa: 20
• Omar: 20
• Eis: 20
• Deeb: 8
• Moubarak: 7
• Helou: 3 (Maronite)

Local Authorities

A municipal council was introduced for the towns of Miryatah and Al-Qadiriyah pursuant to the decision of Minister of Interior and Municipalities Elias El-Murr no. 130 dated 6-3-2002. The council consists of 15 members, 8 from Miryatah and 7 from Al-Qadiriyah and the town is home to 2 Mukhtars.

The municipality received LBP 299 million from the Independent Municipal Fund for 2011 compared to LBP 219 million in 2008 and LBP 290 million in 2009.

Educational Institutions

• Miryatah has 6 schools, both private and public, that have a total of 4,203 students and 227 teachers. The numbers of students and teachers are divided as follows:
• Miryatah’s Official School: 436 students + 47 teachers
• Miryatah’s Official High School: 353 students + 36 teachers
• An-Nour Islamic Model School (Free private school): 1184 students + 55 teachers
• Miryatah’s New School: 87 students + 8 teachers
• Al-Mostaqbal High School: 76 students + 12 teachers
• Miryatah’s Kindergarten: 2067 students + 69 teachers

NGOs

The town is home to the following 6 NGOs:

• As-Sanaa Charitable Socio-Cultural Association, established in 2009
• Al-Aman Association, established in 2009
• Hamad Ajaj’s Charity for Education and Sciences, established in 2009
• Purposeful Education Association, established in 2008
• Social Association for the People of Miryatah and Al-Qadiriyah, established in 2005
• Sports Club, established in 1988

Economic Life

The town is home to approximately 100 commercial and artisan shops that provide employment to the inhabitants. Some earn their living in the private sector while others depend on agriculture. Remittances from relatives in Australia contribute largely to the income of dozens of Miryatah’s families.