The
Maronites are a Christian group, who adhere to the
Maronite Church and mainly hail from Mount Lebanon (mainly in the area of modern
Lebanon) and the surrounding regions in the
Levant. They derive their name from the
Syriac Christian Saint
Maron, whose followers migrated to the area of
Mount Lebanon from their previous location of residence around the area of
Antioch (an ancient Greek city within present day
Hatay Province, Turkey), establishing the nucleus of the
Maronite Church. Some Maronites argue that they are of
Mardaite ancestry, but most historians reject such claims. Maronites were able to maintain an independent status in Mount Lebanon and its coastline after the
Islamic conquest, keeping their Christian religion, and even the distinctive Aramaic language as late as the 19th century.