In 4th century Syria, Mavia (ماوية in Arabic) was a warrior queen who ruled over the Tanukh tribes. Queen Mavia personally led her armies into many battles, and prevailed even against the Roman empire on multiple occasions. Mavia was a powerful woman and formidable leader, and her spirit is mirrored in the many amazing women who work at Mavia Bakery.
In addition to Queen Mavia, according to the traditional Arab calendar, there’s a 12-day period of time starting at the end of February called Saad al-Saaud. It’s during this time that the cold has already reached its peak then slowly starts to fade away, leaving the first signs of spring in its wake. In Syria there’s a saying – “During Saad al-Saaud, trees regain their energy (Mavia), and warmth befalls all those who are cold.”
Just as Mavia awakens plants and flowers in the spring, we also strive to infuse life and positive energy into our small space and our wider community.
Mavia is a female-led social enterprise bakery located in the Gemmayze neighborhood of Lebanon’s capital city, Beirut. Mavia crafts beautiful, sourdough breads and sweets from locally wheat varieties, and makes other types of food including sourdough pizza, baked in our wood oven. Mavia cultivates eight local wheat varieties in the footsteps of Mount Hermon, and we own and operate a stone flour mill in Zahle where we produce different types of flour
We work with farmers in the Bekaa region to grow ancient, heirloom grains pesticide free. We then stone mill them in our artisanal mill in Zahle, ensuring a rough and wholegrain flour that is nutritious.
In central beirut, in a corner of Gemmeyze, our humble bakery employes only women from all types of backgrounds and teaches them how to work in a professional kitchen.
Together, we bake artisanal, authentic sourdough bread, we make scrumptious desserts, and every Friday we fire up our woodfired oven and make sourdough pizza!!!
Our plain, classic sourdough loaf
made with wholegrain and white
flour.
A beloved classic, the olive and wild
zaatar sourdough loaf. Try it with
labne or dip it in
olive oil!.
A unique loaf made with earthy,
tangy kishk and caramelized onions.
Our classic sourdough loaf with a
boost of fiber and grains with added
oats, quinoa, flaxseed and sesame.
This loaf is baked in a tin and forms
squared slices.
Our classic sourdough loaf with a
boost of fiber and grains with added
oats, quinoa, flaxseed and sesame.
This loaf is baked in a tin and forms
squared slices.
Marinara, roasted tomatoes, garlic, shankleesh,
mozarella, red onion, baby rocca.
Marinara, fresh basil, mozzarella, aged scamorza.
Marinara, oyster mushroom, smoked scamorza,garlic, mozzarella.
A special lamb and beef merguez sausage by blackcap atelier,marinara, aged scamorza,mozarela, red onion, green peppers.
Olive oil, green lemons, zucchini, peas & fava beans, edible flowers,bulghari cheese, aged scamorza.
“Mavia Bakery is a Beirut-based social enterprise and sourdough
speciality bakery seeking to empower women, promote local heirloom grains, and build community through our work.”
“Mavia Bakery is a Beirut-based social enterprise and sourdough speciality bakery seeking to empower women, promote local heirloom grains, and build community through our work.”
Copyright © 2025 Mavia Bakery. All rights reserved.
