Nabatiye
Encyclopedia
Nabatieh or Nabatiye, is the principal town of the Nabatieh Governorate, in southern Lebanon
. Nabatieh has approximately 120,000 inhabitants, is the capital of the Jabal Amel
area and the chief center for both the mohafazat, or governorate, and the caza
, or canton. Nabatieh is an important town both economically and culturally.
A market is held every Monday and traders and visitors from neighboring villages gather in the center of the town to exchange their goods in an area known in Arabic as the Souq Al Tanen. There are also branches of several banks, hospitals, restaurants and cultural centers of interest to tourists. Every year, the city commemorates the Battle of Karbala
to remember the martyrdom of Imam al Husayn
. During this time of year the town receives tens of thousands of visitors, mainly belonging to the Shiite community, who come to participate in this religious festival.
Nabatieh can boast of being the birthplace of several learned men: the theologian Sheikh Aref al Zein, the scientist Hassan Kamel Al-Sabbah
and his uncle Sheikh Ahmad Reda
.
towards Damascus
stands Belfort or Beaufort castle, known to Arab travellers as Shqif Arnun, the word shqif being a Syriac term meaning high rock. The castle, although looking inaccessible, can be reached with little difficulty from the village of Arnun, which lies 7 km southeast of Nabatieh. In front of this fortress is a large water cistern and the ruins of an ancient village of a similar antiquity to the castle. There is no conclusive evidence for the age of this castle or for who built it. According to William of Tyre
, it was erected by the Crusaders
, but some scholars are of the opinion that it is probably older than this. It has been suggested that the fortress was standing when the Crusaders arrived, that it had been built in the late Roman
or Byzantine
period and later restored and enlarged by the Arabs before becoming a Crusader castle.
The Crusaders repaired and fortified Beaufort Castle during the twelfth century and it became the most important fortress in Lebanon. The Crusader king, Foulques d'Anjou, captured it from the ruler of Damascus and gave it to the Crusader rulers of Sidon
in 1138. Saladin
besieged it for two years and was able to storm it in 1140. The Crusaders regained control of the citadel in 1190 after they had signed an agreement with Al Salih Ismail, the ruler of Damascus. In 1260 it was bought by the Knights Templar
and it remained their property until its conquest in 1268 by the Mamluk Sultan, Al Zahir Baybars. The Templers built a small fort there called Chateau Neuf
. Fakhreddin undertook restoration work and re-fortified the castle at the beginning of the 17th century, but a governor of Damascus, Hafez Pasha, besieged the building and partly destroyed it with his artillery.
The castle is almost completely ruined and only the eastern wall, entrance and staircase of a big tower in the middle of the western side survive. On the eastern side is a 13th-century vaulted building, either a church or an assembly hall. To the north are the remains of two towers and of a large cistern which occupies part of the moat surrounding the castle.
period and is located in Nabatieh al Fawqa.
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...
. Nabatieh has approximately 120,000 inhabitants, is the capital of the Jabal Amel
Jabal Amel
Jabal Amel or Amil is a mountainous region of Southern Lebanon.The region is named after the Banu 'Amilah, a Yemenite tribe who, along with the kindred tribes of Hamadan, Lakhm, and Judham, settled in Syria, Palestine, parts of Jordan, and Lebanon. The area was known in ancient times as Jabal...
area and the chief center for both the mohafazat, or governorate, and the caza
Qadaa
Kaza or caza , meaning "jurisdiction" and often translated "district," is a term for a second-level administrative division in Iraq and Lebanon and for a third-level administrative division in Jordan and the former Ottoman Empire....
, or canton. Nabatieh is an important town both economically and culturally.
A market is held every Monday and traders and visitors from neighboring villages gather in the center of the town to exchange their goods in an area known in Arabic as the Souq Al Tanen. There are also branches of several banks, hospitals, restaurants and cultural centers of interest to tourists. Every year, the city commemorates the Battle of Karbala
Battle of Karbala
The Battle of Karbala took place on Muharram 10, in the year 61 of the Islamic calendar in Karbala, in present day Iraq. On one side of the highly uneven battle were a small group of supporters and relatives of Muhammad's grandson Husain ibn Ali, and on the other was a large military detachment...
to remember the martyrdom of Imam al Husayn
Husayn ibn Ali
Hussein ibn ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib was the son of ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib and Fātimah Zahrā...
. During this time of year the town receives tens of thousands of visitors, mainly belonging to the Shiite community, who come to participate in this religious festival.
Nabatieh can boast of being the birthplace of several learned men: the theologian Sheikh Aref al Zein, the scientist Hassan Kamel Al-Sabbah
Hassan Kamel Al-Sabbah
Hasan Kamel Al-Sabbah, sometimes referred to as Camil A. Sabbah, was an electrical and electronics research engineer, mathematician and inventor. He was born in Nabatieh, Lebanon. He studied at the American University of Beirut. He taught mathematics at Imperial College of Damascus, Syria, and at...
and his uncle Sheikh Ahmad Reda
Ahmad Reda
Sheikh Ahmad Reda was one of the foremost scholars of Arab literature and linguistics.-Early life:Born in Nabatiyeh, he was a main supporter of King Faisal's Greater Syrian rule , following the Arab Revolt in the First World War...
.
Beaufort Castle
On the top of a hill overlooking the southern Beqaa ValleyBeqaa Valley
The Beqaa Valley is a fertile valley in east Lebanon. For the Romans, the Beqaa Valley was a major agricultural source, and today it remains Lebanon’s most important farming region...
towards 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...
stands Belfort or Beaufort castle, known to Arab travellers as Shqif Arnun, the word shqif being a Syriac term meaning high rock. The castle, although looking inaccessible, can be reached with little difficulty from the village of Arnun, which lies 7 km southeast of Nabatieh. In front of this fortress is a large water cistern and the ruins of an ancient village of a similar antiquity to the castle. There is no conclusive evidence for the age of this castle or for who built it. According to William of Tyre
William of Tyre
William of Tyre was a medieval prelate and chronicler. As archbishop of Tyre, he is sometimes known as William II to distinguish him from a predecessor, William of Malines...
, it was erected by the Crusaders
Crusaders
The Crusaders are a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Christchurch that competes in the Super Rugby competition. They are the most successful team in Super Rugby history with seven titles...
, but some scholars are of the opinion that it is probably older than this. It has been suggested that the fortress was standing when the Crusaders arrived, that it had been built in the late Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
or Byzantine
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
period and later restored and enlarged by the Arabs before becoming a Crusader castle.
The Crusaders repaired and fortified Beaufort Castle during the twelfth century and it became the most important fortress in Lebanon. The Crusader king, Foulques d'Anjou, captured it from the ruler of Damascus and gave it to the Crusader rulers of Sidon
Lordship of Sidon
The Lordship of Sidon was one of the four major fiefdoms of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, one of the Crusader States. However, in reality, it appears to have been much smaller than the others and had the same level of significance as several neighbors, such as Toron and Beirut, which were...
in 1138. Saladin
Saladin
Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb , better known in the Western world as Saladin, was an Arabized Kurdish Muslim, who became the first Sultan of Egypt and Syria, and founded the Ayyubid dynasty. He led Muslim and Arab opposition to the Franks and other European Crusaders in the Levant...
besieged it for two years and was able to storm it in 1140. The Crusaders regained control of the citadel in 1190 after they had signed an agreement with Al Salih Ismail, the ruler of Damascus. In 1260 it was bought by the Knights Templar
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
and it remained their property until its conquest in 1268 by the Mamluk Sultan, Al Zahir Baybars. The Templers built a small fort there called Chateau Neuf
Chateau Neuf
For other uses, see Châteauneuf.Chateau Neuf is a building in Oslo that houses Det Norske Studentersamfund, , including cafes, bars, performance centers, and other facilities for student assembly...
. Fakhreddin undertook restoration work and re-fortified the castle at the beginning of the 17th century, but a governor of Damascus, Hafez Pasha, besieged the building and partly destroyed it with his artillery.
The castle is almost completely ruined and only the eastern wall, entrance and staircase of a big tower in the middle of the western side survive. On the eastern side is a 13th-century vaulted building, either a church or an assembly hall. To the north are the remains of two towers and of a large cistern which occupies part of the moat surrounding the castle.
Mosques
Nabatieh has two historic mosques. One was built in the 16th century and lies in the center of the town. Another, known as the “the Mosque of the Prophet,” dates to the MamlukMamluk
A Mamluk was a soldier of slave origin, who were predominantly Cumans/Kipchaks The "mamluk phenomenon", as David Ayalon dubbed the creation of the specific warrior...
period and is located in Nabatieh al Fawqa.