Bhamdoun is a town

Town

A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...

 in Lebanon

Lebanon

Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...

 23 kilometres (14.3 mi) from Beirut

Beirut

Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...

 on the main road that leads to Damascus

Damascus

Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...

, lying at an altitude of 1100 metres (3,608.9 ft) above the Lamartine valley. Two separate villages compose the town, Bhamdoun-el-mhatta (literally meaning "Bhamdoun the station") and Bhamdoun-el-day'aa ("Bhmadoun the village"). A railroad used to link Bhamdoun to Beirut with the train station being a prominent feature of the town for many years. The station and railroad were eventually abandoned when cars became more popular. The population is mostly Orthodox Christian.

Before the Lebanese civil war

Lebanese Civil War

The Lebanese Civil War was a multifaceted civil war in Lebanon. The war lasted from 1975 to 1990 and resulted in an estimated 150,000 to 230,000 civilian fatalities. Another one million people were wounded, and today approximately 350,000 people remain displaced. There was also a mass exodus of...

, Bhamdoun was one of Lebanon's most renowned and favorite summer resorts. Today, the town has regained some of its past touristic industry as most of its hotels, restaurants and entertainment centers have been renovated or rebuilt. Tourists, especially from the Gulf region

Persian Gulf

The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...

 who once knew Bhamdoun, are returning to spend their summer vacation

Summer vacation

Summer vacation is a vacation in the summertime between school years in which students and instructors are off school typically between 6 and 12 weeks, depending on the country and district.-Students:In some countries, students participate in programs such as organized sports, summer camps, and...

 there. Many have also purchased houses or built their own.

It has five churches, three mosque

Mosque

A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...

s and one synagogue

Synagogue

A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...

. There are two Greek Orthodox churches, one Maronite, one Protestant, and one Catholic

Catholic

The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...

. During the civil war, all five churches were destroyed by the Druze

Druze

The Druze are an esoteric, monotheistic religious community, found primarily in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan, which emerged during the 11th century from Ismailism. The Druze have an eclectic set of beliefs that incorporate several elements from Abrahamic religions, Gnosticism, Neoplatonism...

 militia of Jumblatt

Walid Jumblatt

Walid Jumblatt is a Lebanese politician and the current leader of the Progressive Socialist Party . He is the most prominent leader of Lebanon's Druze community.-Family:...

's Progressive Socialist Party

Progressive Socialist Party

The Progressive Socialist Party or PSP , also known as Parti Socialiste Progressiste in French, is a political party in Lebanon. Its current leader is Walid Jumblatt...

, but they have since been rebuilt.

The synagogue, built in 1910, was one of three grand synagogues in Lebanon. It was abandoned shortly before the civil war, but the shell of the structure still stands http://www.flickr.com/photos/nat_muller/3870651190/http://www.flickr.com/photos/nat_muller/3869869733/in/photostream/.

In 2000, a winery called Chateau Belle-Vue began planting vines, creating jobs in the village. It began producing wine in 2003. The "Renaissance 2003" blend that it produced won the International Spirits and Wine Competition's Gold Medal Best in Class award in 2005, and the wine is now available at restaurants and hotels on three continents.

Notable Families

Families who have roots in Bhamdoun are:

• Haber (also spelled El Haber)
• Abou Rjeili (also spelled Bou Rjayle)
• Khairallah (also Kyrala and Kheirallah or Khayrallah)
• Abdel Nour
• Tabet
• Matta
• Salibi (also spelled Saliby or Al Salibi)
• Obeid