Derdghaya

Derdghaya (Arabic: دردغيا) is a municipality in Tyre District, Governorate of South Lebanon.

Derdghaya دردغيا
Municipality
Derdghaya
Coordinates: 33°16′50″N 35°22′35″E
Country	Lebanon
Governorate	South Governorate
District	Tyre
Area [1]
• Land	1.45 sq mi (3.76 km2)
Elevation [1]	1,350 ft (410 m)
Time zone	GMT +3

History

Old lintel from Derdghaya^[2]

The Survey of Western Palestine (SWP) noted here: "a stone, forming the lintel of the modern church of the village ; it is ancient, having been brought from Deir Abu Dei."^[3] A Greek inscription was found in this village in the year 1860. It was over the door of the church of St. George.^[2][4]

Ottoman era

In 1875, Victor Guérin noted "I arrive at Derdarhieh, a village built on the slopes and on the top of a hill. It has 600 inhabitants, all Greeks united. A number of houses are newly built. Above the door of a small church has been depicted an arched niche, between two crosses, and on the same stone is a line of Greek characters, now very faded, which M. Renan, according to a copy given to him in 1860 by M. Durighello, vice-consul of Saida, believes he can restore.[....] In the same village I was shown a large sepulchral basin in terracotta, recently unearthed and at one of the corners of which on the outer rim there are two small signs which appear, on the outer rim, two small signs which seem to be emblems of the goddess Astarte.^[5]

In 1881, the PEF's Survey of Western Palestine (SWP) described the village (which they called Deir Dughiah; meaning "the convent of Dughiya"^[6] ) as: "A village built of stone, containing about 300 Christians; contains a modern Christian church [...] ; situated on a hill, surrounded by fig-trees and arable land; water supplied by rock-cut cisterns."^[7]

Modern era

Main article: 2024 Derdghaya Melkite Church airstrike

On 9 October 2024, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted an airstrike on a Melkite church in the village of Derdghaya, in Southern Lebanon, as part of the 2024 Israeli invasion of Lebanon.^[8] The airstrike killed at least eight people inside the church. The IDF also hit the house of a priest and the parish offices.^[9]

Demographics

In 2014, Christians made up 95.38% of registered voters in Derdghaya. 75.27% of the voters were Greek Catholics and 16.26% were Maronite Catholics.^[10]