1.
Lebanon
–
Lebanon, officially known as the Lebanese Republic, is a sovereign state in Western Asia. It is bordered by Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, Lebanons location at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian hinterland facilitated its rich history and shaped a cultural identity of religious and ethnic diversity. At just 10,452 km2, it is the smallest recognized country on the entire mainland Asian continent, the earliest evidence of civilization in Lebanon dates back more than seven thousand years, predating recorded history. Lebanon was the home of the Canaanites/Phoenicians and their kingdoms, a culture that flourished for over a thousand years. In 64 BC, the region came under the rule of the Roman Empire, in the Mount Lebanon range a monastic tradition known as the Maronite Church was established. As the Arab Muslims conquered the region, the Maronites held onto their religion, however, a new religious group, the Druze, established themselves in Mount Lebanon as well, generating a religious divide that has lasted for centuries. During the Crusades, the Maronites re-established contact with the Roman Catholic Church, the ties they established with the Latins have influenced the region into the modern era. The region eventually was ruled by the Ottoman Empire from 1516 to 1918, following the collapse of the empire after World War I, the five provinces that constitute modern Lebanon came under the French Mandate of Lebanon. The French expanded the borders of the Mount Lebanon Governorate, which was populated by Maronites and Druze. Lebanon gained independence in 1943, establishing confessionalism, a unique, foreign troops withdrew completely from Lebanon on 31 December 1946. Lebanon has been a member of the Organisation internationale de la francophonie since 1973, despite its small size, the country has developed a well-known culture and has been highly influential in the Arab world. Before the Lebanese Civil War, the experienced a period of relative calm and renowned prosperity, driven by tourism, agriculture, commerce. At the end of the war, there were efforts to revive the economy. In spite of troubles, Lebanon has the highest Human Development Index and GDP per capita in the Arab world. The name of Mount Lebanon originates from the Phoenician root lbn meaning white, occurrences of the name have been found in different Middle Bronze Age texts from the library of Ebla, and three of the twelve tablets of the Epic of Gilgamesh. The name is recorded in Ancient Egyptian as Rmnn, where R stood for Canaanite L, the name occurs nearly 70 times in the Hebrew Bible, as לְבָנוֹן. The borders of contemporary Lebanon are a product of the Treaty of Sèvres of 1920 and its territory was the core of the Bronze Age Phoenician city-states. After the 7th-century Muslim conquest of the Levant, it was part of the Rashidun, Umyayad, Abbasid Seljuk, with the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, Greater Lebanon fell under French mandate in 1920, and gained independence under president Bechara El Khoury in 1943
2.
Anjar, Lebanon
–
Anjar, also known as Haoush Mousa, is a town of Lebanon located in the Bekaa Valley. The population is 2,400, consisting almost entirely of Armenians, the total area is about twenty square kilometers. In the summer, the swells to 3,500. The towns establishment is attributed to the Umayyad caliph al-Walid I at the beginning of the 8th century as a palace-city. After being abandoned in later years, Anjar was resettled in 1939 with several thousand Armenian refugees from the Musa Dagh area and its neighborhoods are named after the six villages of Musa Dagh, Haji Habibli, Kebusiyeh, Vakif, Kheder Bek, Yoghunoluk and Bitias. The Syrian Army chose Anjar as one of its military bases in the Beqaa Valley. The majority of Anjars Armenians are Armenian Apostolics who belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church, Armenian Apostolic Saint Paul Church is the second largest Armenian church in Lebanon. The Armenian Apostolic community has its own school, Haratch Calouste Gulbenkian Secondary School, the official opening of the school took place in 1941. The administration of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation contributed to the expansion of the school and our Lady of the Rosary Armenian Catholic Church in Anjar serves as church for the Armenian Catholics, who also run the Armenian Catholic Sisters School. In the beginning, the school had two divisions, St. Hovsep for the students and Sisters of Immaculate Conception for the female students. In 1954, these departments were united,1973 saw the official opening of the Aghajanian Orphan House, already serving as an Armenian Catholic orphanage since 1968. The Armenian Evangelical Church of Anjar is in operation to serve Anjars small Armenian Evangelical community, the Protestant community school was established in 1948 by Sister Hedwig Aienshanslin as part of her missionary work in Anjar. In 1953, the school, which had become an intermediate school, was promoted into a secondary school. It has day classes as well as boarding facilities for students from other regions who stay there throughout the winter. Formerly known as Gerrha, a built by Umayyad Caliph Al-Walid ibn Abdel Malek in the 8th century. The present-day name derives from Arabic Ayn Gerrha, or source of Gerrha, the ruins have been recognized as a World Heritage Site. Franco-Armenian relations Bacharach, Jere L. Marwanid Umayyad Building Activities, muqarnas, An Annual on the Visual Culture of the Islamic World. Official Website of Anjar Anjar, Archnet Digital Library, Website about Anjar Lebanon, the Cedars Land, Anjar Ya Libnan | Lebanon News | Spotlight on Anjar Photos of Anjar ruins
3.
Christianity in Lebanon
–
Christianity in Lebanon has a long and continuous history. Biblical Scriptures purport that Peter and Paul evangelized to the Phoenicians, the spread of Christianity in Mount Lebanon was very slow where paganism persisted in mountaintop strongholds. A2015 study estimates some 2,500 Lebanese Christians have Muslim ancestry, before the Christian faith reached the territory of Lebanon, Jesus had traveled to its southern parts near Tyre where the scripture tells us that he cured a possessed Canaanite child. Christianity in Lebanon is almost as old as gentile Christian faith itself, early reports relate the possibility that Saint Peter himself was the one who evangelized the Phoenicians whom he affiliated to the ancient patriarchate of Antioch. Paul also preached in Lebanon, having lingered with the early Christians in Tyre, even though Christianity was introduced to Lebanon after the first century AD, its spread was very slow, particularly in the mountainous areas where paganism was still unyielding. By faith, liturgy, rite, religious books and heritage, nevertheless, the influence of the Maronite establishment spread throughout the Lebanese mountains and became a considerable feudal force. The existence of the Maronites was largely ignored by the world until the Crusades. In the 16th century, the Maronite Church adopted the catechism of the Catholic Church, moreover, Rome dispatched Franciscan, Dominican and later Jesuit missionaries to Lebanon to secure the conversion of the Maronites to Catholicism. Due to their turbulent history, the Maronites formed a secluded identity in the mountains and valleys of Lebanon and they identify themselves as a unique community whose religion and culture is distinct from the predominantly Muslim Arab world. The Maronites played a part in the definition of and the creation of the state of Lebanon. With the creation of the state of Lebanon, Arabism was overcome by Lebanism, according to the pact, the President of the Lebanese republic shall always be a Maronite. Furthermore, the pact also states that Lebanon is a state with an Arab face, the number of Christians in Lebanon has been disputed for many years. There has been no census in Lebanon since 1932. Christians were still half the country by mid-century, but by 1985, many argue over the percentage and population of Christians in Lebanon. One estimate of the Christian share of Lebanons population as of 2012 is 40. 5%, therefore, the country has the largest percentage of Christians of all the Middle Eastern nations. The Maronite Church, a church in communion with the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest and politically most active, the Eastern Orthodox Church forms the second largest proportion of Lebanese Christians. The Armenian Apostolic Church also forms a portion of the Christian population in Lebanon. Other branches of Christianity, including the Melkite Catholic Church, an Eastern Catholic Church loyal to the Pope, are common in Lebanon
4.
Melkite Christians in Lebanon
–
The Lebanese Melkite Christians are believed to constitute about 5% of the total population of Lebanon. The Melkite Christians live primarily in the central and eastern parts of the country, members of this rite are concentrated in Beirut, Zahlah, and the suburbs of Sidon. They have a higher level of education than other denominations. Melkite Christians have been able to strike a balance between their openness to the Arab world and their identification with the West, Melkite Christians are estimated to constitute 5% of Lebanons population of approximately 4.3 million, which means they amount to 215,000
5.
Armenian Apostolic Church
–
The Armenian Apostolic Church is the national church of the Armenian people. Part of Oriental Orthodoxy, it is one of the most ancient Christian communities, Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion, in the early 4th century. The church claims to have originated in the missions of Apostles Bartholomew and it is sometimes referred to as the Armenian Orthodox Church or Gregorian Church. It is also known as the Armenian Church. The Armenian Church believes apostolic succession through the apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus, according to legend, the latter of the two apostles is said to have cured Abgar V of Edessa of leprosy with the Image of Edessa, leading to his conversion in 30 AD. After this, Bartholomew came to Armenia, bringing a portrait of the virgin Mary, Bartholomew then converted the sister of Sanatruk, who once again martyred a female relative and the apostle who converted her. Both apostles ordained native bishops before their execution, and some other Armenians had been ordained outside of Armenia by James the Just. According to Eusebius and Tertullian, Armenian Christians were persecuted by kings Axidares, Khosrov I, and Tiridates III, ancient Armenias adoption of Christianity as a state religion has been referred to by Nina Garsoïan as probably the most crucial step in its history. This conversion distinguished it from its Iranian and Mazdean roots and protected it from further Parthian influence, other scholars as well have stated that the acceptance of Christianity by the Arsacid-Armenian rulers was partly in defiance of the Sassanids. When King Trdat IV made Christianity the state religion of Armenia between 301 and 314, it was not a new religion there. It had penetrated the country from at least the third century, Tiridates declared Gregory to be the first Catholicos of the Armenian Church and sent him to Caesarea to be consecrated. Upon his return, Gregory tore down shrines to idols, built churches and monasteries, while meditating in the old capital city of Vagharshapat, Gregory had a vision of Christ descending to the earth and striking it with a hammer. From that spot arose a great Christian temple with a huge cross and he was convinced that God intended him to build the main Armenian church there. With the kings help he did so in accord with his vision and he renamed the city Etchmiadzin, which means the place of the descent of the only-begotten. Initially the Armenian church participated in the church world. Its Catholicos was represented at the First Council of Nicea and the First Council of Constantinople, although unable to attend the Council of Ephesus, the Catholicos Isaac Parthiev sent a message agreeing with its decisions. Christianity was strengthened in Armenia in the 5th century by the translation of the Bible into the Armenian language by the theologian, monk. Before the 5th century, Armenians had a language
6.
Niha Bekaa
–
Niha is a village in the Bekaa Valley about 8 km North of Zahlé. It is famous for its Roman archeological ruins, and in two lower Roman temples that date back to the 1st century AD. The name Niha is used by four Lebanese towns or villages, Niha, Zahlé in the Bekaa, Niha, Batroun, Niha, Tyre and Niha, Chouf. The word neeha is Syriac and denotes to the place the character of calm and it is 8 km North of Zahlé and nearly 2 km North-East of the town of Ablah. The village sits in a canyon at an average altitude of 1,100 m. It is surrounded by fast rising hills with vertical drops of 150 m, the canyon narrows and rises to the back country of Niha also known as the Hosn at an approximate elevation of 1,350 m. The mountains continue to rise over some ten kilometers to reach the top of Mount Sannine at 2,628 m, nihas climate is arid and temperate. Temperatures average 27 C in the dry season, with occasional heat waves that can reach 40 C. Winters are cool and tend to be wet, annual rain fall is approximately 500 mm and snow fall can reach 1 m. Winter temperatures average 5 C but occasionally dip to -10 C, the landscape at the lower elevation appears from a distance bleached as limestone is dominant in the soil. Red soil mixed with limestone make the ground fertile for agriculture which dominates the economy of the village, the temperate and dry climate, and high elevation make the village suitable to grow a variety of fruits. Grapevines, cherry, almond and apple orchards dot the terraced hills, the village as well as the rest of the Bekaa produce the bulk of the fruits in Lebanon and export significant volumes to the Arab countries. Niha gets its water from underground water tables as well as several springs in the hills above the village. The snow melt filtered through the limestone gives the water an appealing freshness with a taste of calcite. A new wastewater treatment plant will be established in 2009 with the assistance of USAID for the villages of Niha, Ablah, the Bekaa Valley was a Byzantine stronghold until the Islamic conquest. After the arrival of Islam, many parts of Mount Lebanon, with the arrival of the Crusades and the Mamluks during the 12th and 13th centuries, the Shiites fled to the Bekaa where they remain today especially in the northern parts. With the arrival of the Ottomans in the 16th century, the Bekaa region was part of the vilayet of Damascus. The 19th century witnessed the migration of Christian families from Mount Lebanon to the Bekaa, spotty records indicate that an agreement was forged in the 19th century between the Shiite and Christian clans to exchange territories
7.
Qabb Ilyas
–
Qabb Ilyas also spelled Kab Elias, Qab Elias, Qob Elias, Qoub Elias) is a municipality in Zahle District, in eastern Lebanon. Qabb Ilyas is 15 kilometers from Zahleh and 45 kilometers from the Lebanese capital Beirut and its average elevations is 950 meters above sea level. Its area is approximately 32 km², Qabb Ilyas is the third largest city in the Beqaa Valley, after Zahleh and Baalbek in terms of area size and geography. The majority of the residents are Sunni Muslims, according to the 19th-century Lebanese historian Haydar al-Shihabi, the town was originally called al-Muruj. Local tradition holds that the current name Qabb Ilyas is derived from Qabr Ilyas. Ilyas was an 8th-century muqaddam from Mount Lebanon, who was killed during a raid in the Beqaa Valley by the forces of the Abbasid governor of Damascus. In the late 16th century, the Bedouin chieftain of the Beqaa Valley, Mansur ibn Furaykh and he had a palatial home built in the village. During this rebellion, Mansurs home was seized by the Druze Maani emir, Fakhr ad-Din II, the sons of Mansur, Nasrallah and Muhammad, continued to struggle for control of the property during Fakhr ad-Dins exile as the Shia Harfushi sheikh Yunus al-Harfush took possession of the home. The Maan dynasty built a fortress in Qabb Ilyas that later emirs of Lebanon commissioned during times of rebellion against the Ottomans. Sayyid-Ahmad Shihab occupied Qabb Ilyas in 1773 and robbed a group of Damascene merchants there, in the mid-1820s, the Ottoman wali of Damascus, Darwish Pasha, defeated Emir Bashir Shihab II and proceeded to demolish most of what remained of the Fakhr ad-Din Castle. He then assigned a Muslim from the Aleppo-based Araqtanji family to govern Qabb Ilyas, during French military intervention in the conflict, the French Army occupied Qabb Ilyas and maintained a military force there to guard the Beqaa Valley and southern Mount Lebanon. The Ottomans established a garrison at Qabb Ilyas at the French withdrawal. The Fakhr ad-Din II Castle in Qabb Ilyas is believed to have one of the largest castles in the Beqaa Valley. It is also thought to have built by the Druze prince Fakhr ad-Din II. The castle was destroyed by the Ottomans, but the ruins remain. The Haidara ruins are believed to back to the Roman era. According to local legend, there was once a mirror on the face of the building used to reflect sunlight down into the village. Qabb Ilyas is administered by a municipal council with six-year terms
8.
Chouf District
–
Chouf is a historic region of Lebanon, as well as an administrative district in the governorate of Mount Lebanon. The Emirs of Lebanon used to have their residence in Chouf, most notably Bachir Chehab II, another historical town, just facing Beiteddine, is Deir al Qamar. Chouf is the heartland of the Lebanese Druze community, with Druze leader Walid Jumblatt residing at the Jumblatt palace in the town of Moukhtara. Several violent clashes have occurred between Druze and Christians, as in in 1848,1860 and most recently 1983-1984, during the Lebanese Civil War and this saw the Progressive Socialist Party, a traditionally Druze oriented party, beat the Lebanese Forces, comprising Maronite Christians. The Chouf is one of the best-preserved Lebanese districts and its nature has been spared from the intense building of neighboring Metn. Despite the historical feuds between Christian Maronites and Druze, the Chouf district is one of the most religiously diverse regions in Lebanon. The Druze are currently the largest religious denominations in the region with substantial Maronite, roughly 65% of the regions inhabitants are Druze and 35% are Christian
9.
Jbeil District
–
Jbeil District is a district of the Mount Lebanon Governorate of Lebanon. It is located to the northeast of Lebanons capital Beirut, the capital is Byblos, also known as Jbeil. The districts population is predominantly Maronite Catholic, followed by a Shia Muslim minority community, the largest towns of the district are predominantly inhabited by Maronites, they are Byblos, Qartaba, Aqoura and Amsheet. Most Shia Muslims live in the valley of the Ibrahim River, particularly in the villages of Almat, Ras Osta, Hjoula, Bichtlida, Lassa, a Greek Orthodox minority forms part of the population and is spread among several villages know locally as qornet el-roum. The villages that make up qournet el-roum are Mounsef, Jeddayel, Helwe, Berbara, Gharzouz, Rihanneh, Jbeil District has three seats allocated to it in the Lebanese Parliament. Two of these seats are allocated to Maronite Catholics, while the seat is allocated to Shia Muslims. As of 2009, the religious make-up of the Jbeil Districts 75,584 voters were roughly 70% Maronite Catholic, 19% Shia Muslim, the Jbeil District hosts a number of significant sites. The capital Byblos is an important historical and archaeological site boasting Phoenician, Roman, the mountain village of Aannaya hosts the Saint Maroun-Aannaya monastery and the Catholic shrine of Saint Charbel, the first Lebanese saint, both significant religious Maronite Christian holy sites. The village of Laqlouq, which has an altitude of 1,750 meters to 2,000 meters, is a ski resort, the village of Afqa contains the Afqa grotto, which is the source of the Nahr Ibrahim, also known as the Adonis River. The village of Bentael contains the first protected area in Lebanon, the village of Jaj hosts surviving cedar trees from the ancient cedar forests from which cedar wood was exported to Egypt and later to Jerusalem
Lebanon
