Morh Kfarsghab
Encyclopedia
Morh Kfarsghab is a village located in the Zgharta District
in the North Governorate
of Lebanon
.
Murh Kfarsghab is the winter dwellings of the people of the mountain village of Kfarsghab
. It is a typical organization of pastoral
and agricultural Mediterranean
communities where seasonal fixed transhumance
is still practised.
root mrh. It is one form of mrah which according to Elie Wardini,
As cattle breeding was never a main source of income for Kfarsghab, it is possible that Morh Kfarsghab was used in winter for the Mullberry silkworms which represented a major activity in the region.
For the local people, Morh Kfarsghab is called sahil ( [saːħil]) which literally means sea coast in Arabic.
from Bnachii
. On average, it sits at 280 meters above sea level
gives an estimation which is slightly higher (298 meters) than measured average altitude (280 meters). A written document mentioning Morh Kfarsghab is dated to October / November 1748 AD (Thu'l-Qa'dah 1161 Hijri
).
plain settlement. There are four seasons, with winters being mild with moderate to heavy rainfall while summers are hot, arid and dry. The highest average temperature is in August at 86 °F (30 °C) while the lowest average temperature is in January at 46 °F (8 °C). However, summer temperatures can top 104 °F (40 °C), and winter temperatures can drop below 35 °F (2 °C).Total yearly precipitation is in the range of 33 inches (810 mm), with the heaviest occurring from late November to early April. Rainfall is exceptional between mid June and mid September.
, grape
and fig
. The main culture is however olive
harvested typically from November to January. In this part of the Mediterranean, a full crop of olive is only occurring every other year. There are in the village around six olive presses for olive oil extraction
, most of them using the traditional first cold pressed method ensuring an excellent oil quality. Green olives and black olives are also produced as well as olive oil soap. There is also in Morh Kfarsghab an important production of grape
used mainly to produce the national aniseed-flavoured distilled alcoholic drink, the Arak
. Grape is harvested in July / August usually . In the recent years, fig
lost of its importance as it needs continuous care during summertime when most of the people are in the summer village, some 25 kilometers away. Finally, there is also a modest culture of almond
s, citrus
trees such as orange and lemon
. For citrus, as it needs irrigation, it is cultivated in the valley of Joueit where water is available, at least during winters.
The land owned by the Kfarsghab people extends on a large area in the Zgharta District
, Bsharri District as well as Koura District
. Land was acquired mostly at the beginning of the 20th Century thanks to the funds sent by emigrants . The revenues derived from agriculture would have been comfortable if , since the Seventies, the agriculture in Kfarsghab was not plagued by several problems. The main difficulties faced by agriculture are the lack of manpower due to emigration , the unfair competition of foreign products at lower dumped prices especially for olive oil , apple diseases and parasites, the weakness of the Lebanese pound increasing the prices of fertilizers and pesticides, the closing of some important foreign outlets for Lebanese products like Irak, the Lebanese Civil War
.
Zgharta District
Zgharta District is a district of the North Governorate, Lebanon.The administrative center is the town of Zgharta. The district has 57 populated areas with 30 municipalities covering 37 villages. Some areas share the same municipality such as Ehden/Zgharta, Kfarsghab/Morh Kfarsghab or...
in 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...
of 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...
.
Murh Kfarsghab is the winter dwellings of the people of the mountain village of Kfarsghab
Kfarsghab
Kfarsghab is a village located in the Zgharta District in the North Governorate of Lebanon...
. It is a typical organization of pastoral
Pastoral
The adjective pastoral refers to the lifestyle of pastoralists, such as shepherds herding livestock around open areas of land according to seasons and the changing availability of water and pasturage. It also refers to a genre in literature, art or music that depicts such shepherd life in an...
and agricultural Mediterranean
Mediterranean Basin
In biogeography, the Mediterranean Basin refers to the lands around the Mediterranean Sea that have a Mediterranean climate, with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers, which supports characteristic Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub vegetation...
communities where seasonal fixed transhumance
Transhumance
Transhumance is the seasonal movement of people with their livestock between fixed summer and winter pastures. In montane regions it implies movement between higher pastures in summer and to lower valleys in winter. Herders have a permanent home, typically in valleys. Only the herds travel, with...
is still practised.
Etymology
Morh is derived from the SemiticSemitic languages
The Semitic languages are a group of related languages whose living representatives are spoken by more than 270 million people across much of the Middle East, North Africa and the Horn of Africa...
root mrh. It is one form of mrah which according to Elie Wardini,
is almost exclusively in Lebanon a spread place name appellation. It signifies stable, hurdle, resting place (for livestock), besides also building in which the silk caterpillar is pulled (reeling of cocoons)…It gives an indication as to the historical destination of this place during wintertime for the mountain people of Kfarsghab.
As cattle breeding was never a main source of income for Kfarsghab, it is possible that Morh Kfarsghab was used in winter for the Mullberry silkworms which represented a major activity in the region.
For the local people, Morh Kfarsghab is called sahil ( [saːħil]) which literally means sea coast in Arabic.
Geography
Morh Kfarsghab, the winter village, is located on the north-western slope of the Joueit valley separating MiziaraMiziara
Miziara is a village located in the Zgharta District in the North Governorate of Lebanon. The village is home to the Marian shrine, Our Lady of Miziara, Mother of Mercies....
from Bnachii
Bnachii
Bnashii is a village located in the Zgharta District in the North Governorate of Lebanon. Its population is Maronite Catholic....
. On average, it sits at 280 meters above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
gives an estimation which is slightly higher (298 meters) than measured average altitude (280 meters). A written document mentioning Morh Kfarsghab is dated to October / November 1748 AD (Thu'l-Qa'dah 1161 Hijri
Islamic calendar
The Hijri calendar , also known as the Muslim calendar or Islamic calendar , is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 lunar months in a year of 354 or 355 days. It is used to date events in many Muslim countries , and used by Muslims everywhere to determine the proper day on which to celebrate Islamic...
).
Climate
Morh Kfarsghab is a typical MediterraneanMediterranean 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...
plain settlement. There are four seasons, with winters being mild with moderate to heavy rainfall while summers are hot, arid and dry. The highest average temperature is in August at 86 °F (30 °C) while the lowest average temperature is in January at 46 °F (8 °C). However, summer temperatures can top 104 °F (40 °C), and winter temperatures can drop below 35 °F (2 °C).Total yearly precipitation is in the range of 33 inches (810 mm), with the heaviest occurring from late November to early April. Rainfall is exceptional between mid June and mid September.
Economy
Agriculture
The major issue is scarcity of water. Agricultural activities privileged crops that do not need irrigation, such as oliveOlive
The olive , Olea europaea), is a species of a small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean Basin as well as northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea.Its fruit, also called the olive, is of major agricultural importance in the...
, grape
Grape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...
and fig
Ficus
Ficus is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes, and hemiepiphyte in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extending into the semi-warm temperate zone. The Common Fig Ficus is a genus of...
. The main culture is however olive
Olive
The olive , Olea europaea), is a species of a small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean Basin as well as northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea.Its fruit, also called the olive, is of major agricultural importance in the...
harvested typically from November to January. In this part of the Mediterranean, a full crop of olive is only occurring every other year. There are in the village around six olive presses for olive oil extraction
Olive oil extraction
Olive oil extraction is the process of extracting the oil present in the olive drupes for food use. The oil is produced in the mesocarp cells, and stored in a particular type of vacuole called a lipo vacuole, i.e., every cell contains a tiny olive oil droplet...
, most of them using the traditional first cold pressed method ensuring an excellent oil quality. Green olives and black olives are also produced as well as olive oil soap. There is also in Morh Kfarsghab an important production of grape
Grape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...
used mainly to produce the national aniseed-flavoured distilled alcoholic drink, the Arak
Arak (distilled beverage)
Arak or Araq , is a highly alcoholic spirit from the anis drinks family. It is a clear, colorless, unsweetened anise-flavoured distilled alcoholic drink...
. Grape is harvested in July / August usually . In the recent years, fig
Ficus
Ficus is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes, and hemiepiphyte in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extending into the semi-warm temperate zone. The Common Fig Ficus is a genus of...
lost of its importance as it needs continuous care during summertime when most of the people are in the summer village, some 25 kilometers away. Finally, there is also a modest culture of almond
Almond
The almond , is a species of tree native to the Middle East and South Asia. Almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of this tree...
s, citrus
Citrus
Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...
trees such as orange and lemon
Lemon
The lemon is both a small evergreen tree native to Asia, and the tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit. The fruit is used for culinary and non-culinary purposes throughout the world – primarily for its juice, though the pulp and rind are also used, mainly in cooking and baking...
. For citrus, as it needs irrigation, it is cultivated in the valley of Joueit where water is available, at least during winters.
The land owned by the Kfarsghab people extends on a large area in the Zgharta District
Zgharta District
Zgharta District is a district of the North Governorate, Lebanon.The administrative center is the town of Zgharta. The district has 57 populated areas with 30 municipalities covering 37 villages. Some areas share the same municipality such as Ehden/Zgharta, Kfarsghab/Morh Kfarsghab or...
, Bsharri District as well as Koura District
Koura District
Koura or El Koura is a district in the North Governorate, Lebanon.Koura is one of the 36 districts of Lebanon, which is very popular for the olive tree cultivation. It is known by its dark green color....
. Land was acquired mostly at the beginning of the 20th Century thanks to the funds sent by emigrants . The revenues derived from agriculture would have been comfortable if , since the Seventies, the agriculture in Kfarsghab was not plagued by several problems. The main difficulties faced by agriculture are the lack of manpower due to emigration , the unfair competition of foreign products at lower dumped prices especially for olive oil , apple diseases and parasites, the weakness of the Lebanese pound increasing the prices of fertilizers and pesticides, the closing of some important foreign outlets for Lebanese products like Irak, 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...
.