Al-Qlayaa () is a municipality in the Marjayoun District in southern Lebanon. The inhabitants are mainly Maronite Christians.
Etymology According to E. H. Palmer, the name means "the little castle".Palmer, 1881, p. 29
Geography The village sits on a ridge at an elevation estimated between 650 and 700 meters (2,130–2,300 ft) above sea level. Its position places it within the hilly landscape of the Upper Galilee region, an area characterized by rolling highlands and valleys typical of southern Lebanese terrain. Al-Qlaiaah lies around 4.5 kilometers southwest of the town of Marjayoun and approximately four kilometers from the Israeli border. Its elevated position offers broad views over the Litani River valley to the west.
History In 1838, Eli Smith noted Al-Qlayaa's population as Maronite.Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, 2nd appendix, p. 137
In 1870 Victor Guérin found the village to have 400 Maronite inhabitants.Guerin, 1880, p. 279
In 1881, the PEF's Survey of Western Palestine (SWP) described it: "A village, built of stone, containing about 150 Christians; it contains a church, and is situated on a ridge, with vineyards, olives, figs, and arable land around; it has a birket and spring near."Conder and Kitchener, 1881, SWP I, p. 89 Note that a birket is a pool of water.
On 9 March 2026, an Israeli tank fired on a house in the village twice, killing the parish priest, Pierre al-Rahi.
Demographics In 2014 Christians made up 98.81% of registered voters in Al-Qlayaa. 92.40% of the voters were Maronite Catholics. https://lub-anan.com/المحافظات/النبطية/مرجعيون/القليعة/المذاهب/
See also Catholic Church in Lebanon
References
Bibliography
External links Qlaiaa, Localiban Survey of Western Palestine, Map 2: IAA, Wikimedia commons