Bsharri
Encyclopedia
Bsharri is a Lebanese town at about 1,450 m of altitude, near the Kadisha Valley
. It is located at 34°15′4"N 36°0′40"E, in the Bsharri District of the North Governorate
. Bsharri is the town of the only remaining (preserved) Original Cedars of Lebanon. Cedar and is the birthplace of the famous poet
, painter
and sculptor Khalil Gibran
who now has a museum
in the town to honor him.
The name Bsharri (بشرّي) can be found in the Phoenician language (بيث الشري) meaning "The House Of Ishtar
", Ishtar
being a goddess worshipped by the Phoenicians (and King Salomon) before monotheistic faiths (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) were adopted in the area.
Bsharri was the site of a Phoenicia
n settlement in ancient times. Maronite Christians fleeing persecution sought refuge in its mountainous terrain in the 7th Century AD. The Kadisha Valley
, below the town, became the spiritual center of the Maronite Church. The town was known as Buissera by the Crusades
.
In Lebanon, Bsharri natives are characterized as very courageous and fiercely tribal. They are known across the northern region for their hospitality and their patriotism. They are especially known for their distinct accent when they speak Arabic. Unlike other parts of Lebanon, Aramaic
was spoken in Bsharri well into the 19th century. As a result, Bsharri natives developed an unmistakably strong accent which lasts to this day and which they are very proud of. There are 7 Main Families in Bsharri: Sukkar, Chidiac, Kayrouz, Geagea, Rahme, Fakhri, and Tawk. Other families in Bsharri are Arida and Schiba.
During the Lebanese civil war
(1975–1990), Bsharri was a bastion of Christian
resistance against first the Palestinians and the Syrians. Many of its youth joined the Lebanese Phalanges at the start of the civil war. In 1986 Samir Geagea
, a Bsharri native, became head of the Christian Lebanese Forces
(LF) movement. Many LF militants were drawn from the town during the civil war. Bsharri natives are often referred to as the defenders of the Maronites in Lebanon.
This town is still neglected by the government, having no university and no projects that provide careers to its youth, forcing them to move to cities and foreign countries.
Today, the town is located in a highly touristic zone including such attractions as the Khalil Gibran
Tomb and Museum, Kadisha Valley
where Antonios Torbey lived as a hermite in the Hermitage of St. Lichaa down in the valley; the Kadisha Grotto, the Cedars of God
forest, a ski resort and Bka'kafra (the birthplace of St Charbel).
Bsharri is home to a Lebanese Red Cross First Aid Center. Also it is home for "The Maronite Scouts" that started their activities in early 2000.
Bsharri has provided two members of parliament to the current Lebanese government, the first person being Mrs Strida Geagea representing the Lebanese forces party. Strida is the wife of the powerful Christian Political leader Samir Geagea who is the leader of the Lebanese Christians Forces. The Oweit are allied with the March 14 political party. It has been suggested that the March 14 political party comfortably represent over 55 per cent of the Lebanese Christian vote in Lebanon. This makes them the largest Christian political voting block in Lebanon.
The other member of the Lebanese Parliament representing the Lebanese forces from Bsharri is from the large Kayrouz family of Bsharri.Elie Kayrouz. The member of parliament is known for his powerful contacts in the banking sector and has been instrumental in organising some up and coming building projects in the Bsharri District.
Bshari residents are also known for their strong Christian faith.Throughout the year there are many Christian celebrations that are held in the town where thousands of local residents gather from neighbouring villages to feast, sing and dance till the early hours of the morning.
(Csb/Dsb, according to the Köppen climate classification
), with dry and mild summers and cold, snow
y winters.Temperatures in the summer can go above 30C a few times per year while on the other hand, temperatures can plummet to -15C on some occasions during the winter. Heavy snowfall is observed every year and accumulations of over 2 meters are not unheard of.
Kadisha Valley
The Kadisha Valley is a valley that lies within the Becharre and Zgharta Districts of the North Governorate of Lebanon. The valley is a deep gorge carved by the Kadisha River, also known as the Nahr Abu Ali when it reaches Tripoli...
. It is located at 34°15′4"N 36°0′40"E, in the Bsharri District of the North Governorate
North Governorate
North Governorate is one of the governorates of Lebanon. Its capital is Tripoli.-Districts:The North Governorate is divided into districts, or aqdya...
. Bsharri is the town of the only remaining (preserved) Original Cedars of Lebanon. Cedar and is the birthplace of the famous poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
and sculptor Khalil Gibran
Khalil Gibran
Khalil Gibran Jubrān Khalīl Jubrān,Jibrān Khalīl Jibrān, or Jibrān Xalīl Jibrān; Arabic , January 6, 1883 – April 10, 1931) also known as Kahlil Gibran, was a Lebanese American artist, poet, and writer...
who now has a museum
Gibran Museum
The Gibran Museum, formerly the Monastery of Mar Sarkis, is a biographical museum in Bsharri, Lebanon, 120 kilometres from Beirut. It is dedicated to the Lebanese artist, writer and philosopher Khalil Gibran....
in the town to honor him.
The name Bsharri (بشرّي) can be found in the Phoenician language (بيث الشري) meaning "The House Of Ishtar
Ishtar
Ishtar is the Assyrian and Babylonian goddess of fertility, love, war, and sex. She is the counterpart to the Sumerian Inanna and to the cognate north-west Semitic goddess Astarte.-Characteristics:...
", Ishtar
Ishtar
Ishtar is the Assyrian and Babylonian goddess of fertility, love, war, and sex. She is the counterpart to the Sumerian Inanna and to the cognate north-west Semitic goddess Astarte.-Characteristics:...
being a goddess worshipped by the Phoenicians (and King Salomon) before monotheistic faiths (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) were adopted in the area.
Bsharri was the site of a Phoenicia
Phoenicia
Phoenicia , was an ancient civilization in Canaan which covered most of the western, coastal part of the Fertile Crescent. Several major Phoenician cities were built on the coastline of the Mediterranean. It was an enterprising maritime trading culture that spread across the Mediterranean from 1550...
n settlement in ancient times. Maronite Christians fleeing persecution sought refuge in its mountainous terrain in the 7th Century AD. The Kadisha Valley
Kadisha Valley
The Kadisha Valley is a valley that lies within the Becharre and Zgharta Districts of the North Governorate of Lebanon. The valley is a deep gorge carved by the Kadisha River, also known as the Nahr Abu Ali when it reaches Tripoli...
, below the town, became the spiritual center of the Maronite Church. The town was known as Buissera by the Crusades
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
.
In Lebanon, Bsharri natives are characterized as very courageous and fiercely tribal. They are known across the northern region for their hospitality and their patriotism. They are especially known for their distinct accent when they speak Arabic. Unlike other parts of Lebanon, Aramaic
Aramaic language
Aramaic is a group of languages belonging to the Afroasiatic language phylum. The name of the language is based on the name of Aram, an ancient region in central Syria. Within this family, Aramaic belongs to the Semitic family, and more specifically, is a part of the Northwest Semitic subfamily,...
was spoken in Bsharri well into the 19th century. As a result, Bsharri natives developed an unmistakably strong accent which lasts to this day and which they are very proud of. There are 7 Main Families in Bsharri: Sukkar, Chidiac, Kayrouz, Geagea, Rahme, Fakhri, and Tawk. Other families in Bsharri are Arida and Schiba.
During 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...
(1975–1990), Bsharri was a bastion of Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
resistance against first the Palestinians and the Syrians. Many of its youth joined the Lebanese Phalanges at the start of the civil war. In 1986 Samir Geagea
Samir Geagea
Samir Farid Geagea , born October 25, 1952, is a Lebanese politician. He is also a senior figure in the March 14 Alliance, alongside Saad Hariri and Amine Gemayel....
, a Bsharri native, became head of the Christian Lebanese Forces
Lebanese Forces
The Lebanese Forces is a Lebanese political party. Founded as a militia by Bachir Gemayel during the Lebanese Civil War, the movement fought as the main militia within the Christian-dominated Lebanese Front...
(LF) movement. Many LF militants were drawn from the town during the civil war. Bsharri natives are often referred to as the defenders of the Maronites in Lebanon.
This town is still neglected by the government, having no university and no projects that provide careers to its youth, forcing them to move to cities and foreign countries.
Today, the town is located in a highly touristic zone including such attractions as the Khalil Gibran
Khalil Gibran
Khalil Gibran Jubrān Khalīl Jubrān,Jibrān Khalīl Jibrān, or Jibrān Xalīl Jibrān; Arabic , January 6, 1883 – April 10, 1931) also known as Kahlil Gibran, was a Lebanese American artist, poet, and writer...
Tomb and Museum, Kadisha Valley
Kadisha Valley
The Kadisha Valley is a valley that lies within the Becharre and Zgharta Districts of the North Governorate of Lebanon. The valley is a deep gorge carved by the Kadisha River, also known as the Nahr Abu Ali when it reaches Tripoli...
where Antonios Torbey lived as a hermite in the Hermitage of St. Lichaa down in the valley; the Kadisha Grotto, the Cedars of God
Cedars of God
The Cedars of God is one of the the last vestiges of the extensive forests of the Cedars of Lebanon that thrived across Mount Lebanon in ancient times. Their timber was exploited by the Assyrians, Babylonians and Persians as well as the Phoenicians...
forest, a ski resort and Bka'kafra (the birthplace of St Charbel).
Bsharri is home to a Lebanese Red Cross First Aid Center. Also it is home for "The Maronite Scouts" that started their activities in early 2000.
Bsharri has provided two members of parliament to the current Lebanese government, the first person being Mrs Strida Geagea representing the Lebanese forces party. Strida is the wife of the powerful Christian Political leader Samir Geagea who is the leader of the Lebanese Christians Forces. The Oweit are allied with the March 14 political party. It has been suggested that the March 14 political party comfortably represent over 55 per cent of the Lebanese Christian vote in Lebanon. This makes them the largest Christian political voting block in Lebanon.
The other member of the Lebanese Parliament representing the Lebanese forces from Bsharri is from the large Kayrouz family of Bsharri.Elie Kayrouz. The member of parliament is known for his powerful contacts in the banking sector and has been instrumental in organising some up and coming building projects in the Bsharri District.
Bshari residents are also known for their strong Christian faith.Throughout the year there are many Christian celebrations that are held in the town where thousands of local residents gather from neighbouring villages to feast, sing and dance till the early hours of the morning.
Climate
Bsharri has a continental Mediterranean climateMediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate is the climate typical of most of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, and is a particular variety of subtropical climate...
(Csb/Dsb, according to the Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
), with dry and mild summers and cold, snow
Snow
Snow is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by...
y winters.Temperatures in the summer can go above 30C a few times per year while on the other hand, temperatures can plummet to -15C on some occasions during the winter. Heavy snowfall is observed every year and accumulations of over 2 meters are not unheard of.
See also
- Bsharri District
- DimaneDimaneDimane is a mountainous village in the Bsharri District, in the North Governorate of Lebanon. It sits at approximately 1400m above sea level, overlooking the Kadisha Valley....
- LebanonLebanonLebanon , 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...
- Kadisha ValleyKadisha ValleyThe Kadisha Valley is a valley that lies within the Becharre and Zgharta Districts of the North Governorate of Lebanon. The valley is a deep gorge carved by the Kadisha River, also known as the Nahr Abu Ali when it reaches Tripoli...
- Khalil GibranKhalil GibranKhalil Gibran Jubrān Khalīl Jubrān,Jibrān Khalīl Jibrān, or Jibrān Xalīl Jibrān; Arabic , January 6, 1883 – April 10, 1931) also known as Kahlil Gibran, was a Lebanese American artist, poet, and writer...
- Samir GeageaSamir GeageaSamir Farid Geagea , born October 25, 1952, is a Lebanese politician. He is also a senior figure in the March 14 Alliance, alongside Saad Hariri and Amine Gemayel....
- Kayrouz
- Taouk
- MOREPMOREPThe Movement Of Reform and Environment Program is a Lebanese political movement organization that was progressively launched through the last decade concerning plans of reform and environment program...