Zahlé
Encyclopedia
Zahlé is the capital and largest city of Beqaa Governorate
, Lebanon
. With around 50,000 inhabitants, it is the fourth largest city in Lebanon, after Beirut
, Tripoli
and Jounieh
. It is situated 55 km (34 mi) east of the capital Beirut, close to the Beirut-Damascus road, and lies at the junction of the Lebanon mountains
and the Beqaa plateau
, at a mean elevation of 1000m. Zahlé is known as the "Bride of the Beqaa" and "the Neighbor of the Gorge" due to its geographical location and attractiveness, but also as "the City of Wine and Poetry" It is famous throughout Lebanon and the region for its pleasant climate, numerous riverside restaurants and quality arak. Its population is predominantly Catholic.
verb zahhala, which means to slide, to displace. The occasional landslides which take place on the deforested hills around the town are probably at the origin of this name.
Due to its relative geographic isolation from the local centers of power in Mount Lebanon and Syria, the town did not have any significant allies in the region to fall back on in case of conflicts or attacks. This led its inhabitants to develop a defensive attitude, which can still be felt today.
Zahlé was burned in 1777 and 1791, and it was burned again and plundered in 1860 during a conflict between the Christian population of the town and the Druze
of the neighboring areas.
The construction of the railroad line between Beirut
and Damascus
in 1885 brought prosperity to Zahlé, which became a freight hub on the trade route between Lebanon, Syria
and Iraq
, while continuing to serve as a regional agricultural center. The town then grew slowly, but steadily, over the following century.
The Lebanese Civil War
from 1975 to 1990 brought upheaval to the region. Overall, Zahlé was not affected by the war as much as other regions in the country, and many people from those regions chose to take refuge there because it was considered safe. However, because of its central geostrategic position in Lebanon, it also had its share of black days. At the beginning of the war in 1975, the Syrian army briefly deployed in the town. On December 21, 1980, Syria wanted to deploy its troops in Zahlé again and take over it, but those were intercepted by members of the Lebanese army and citizens. After the killing of five Syrian soldiers, the Syrian army retaliated by continuously bombarding Zahlé. These attacks during Christmas produced a great reaction in the West, especially in France, who described the Syrians' actions as barbaric.
A similar incident occurred six month later: on April 1, 1981, a fire exchange between a Zahlawi position and a Syrian emplacement developed into a full scale Syrian onslaught. Syria proceeded to shell Zahlé for eight days, cutting all routes and preventing any type of aid from reaching the town. Syrian troops tried to enter the town many times but failed repeatedly, making little headway with the Lebanese resistance, and losing several armed vehicles. Syria's actions towards Lebanon created an outrage in the international community. Following the plea of Lebanese communities all over the world, foreign countries, France in particular, pressured Syria to stop their onslaught on Zahlé.
The town has enjoyed much calm ever since the end of the war. However, a bomb detonated inside the local Syriac Orthodox
church on March 27, 2011. This incident was possibly connected to the abduction of seven Estonian cyclists
not far from Zahlé earlier that month. Fortunately, there was no one inside the church when the bombing occurred, and the next morning, believers attended the Sunday mass which was held in the frontyard.
2628 metres (8,622 ft) towering above it. The hills form a narrow valley, which itself is an extension of a ravine to the Northwest ("Wadi el Aarayesh", meaning "Gorge of Vines") Due to this particular topography, most of Zahlé's neighborhoods spread vertically on steep hill slopes, and the town features an elevation difference of more than 200 metres (656 ft) in a narrow geographical area. Zahlé is bisected by the Berdawni river, which flows out of the ravine towards the plateau. The Berdawni was at a time the town's source of drinking water and its most prized natural emblem, but has become polluted with sewage and solid waste in the last decades, and partially covered up to create parking lots.
(Köppen climate classification
Csa
), characterized by hot and dry summers and mild to cool winters, where most of the precipitation is concentrated. However, due to its high altitude and inland location, in the rain shadow of the Lebanon mountains, its climate features some continental characteristics: summers are usually hotter than coastal areas, with occasional peaks of over 40 °C (104 °F), but humidity is very low, and temperatures usually fall below 20 °C (68 °F) at night, which makes summer particularly pleasant compared to coastal cities. On the other hand, winters are cooler than on the coast. Precipitation is less abundant overall (around 600 mm (24 in) per year, compared to 900 mm (35 in) in Beirut) but snowfalls occur fairly often during cold fronts coming from Turkey
or Eastern Europe
, and heavy snow accumulation is not unheard of.
In spring, weather is sometimes affected by the notorious Khamsin winds
, whose typical effects include a rise in temperature, characteristic yellow/orange skies and muddy rain.
also includes the neighboring towns of Saadnayel, Taalabaya, Jdita, Chtaura
and Kab Elias to the Southeast, which have come to form a single entity since the late 1990s due to anarchic growth, and is home to about 130.000 people. The metropolitan area
extends over much of the Zahlé prefecture, and comprises the towns of Bar Elias, Furzol, Ablah, Niha
and Riyaq
, with a total population close to 200.000.
Zahlé in the largest predominantly Christian
town in Lebanon and the Middle East, and the one with the largest Catholic
population. Christians form around 90% of the population, with their composition as follows: around 65% of Catholic
s, 15% percent of Maronites, 10% percent of Orthodox
, and the remaining 10% belonging to various minorities. The Muslim
minority (10% of population) is concentrated in the districts of Karak Nuh
(where Noah's tomb is allegedly located) and Haoush el Oumara, on the Northwestern and Southeastern edge of town respectively. In the past, there was also a Druze
minority and even a small Jewish population, most of which however emigrated during the Civil War
.
Zahlé has been a land of emigration since the early nineteenth century, with most people settling in the United States
, Mexico
, Brazil
and Argentina
. During the Civil War in the 1970s and 1980s, a new flow of migrants left the town for the United States and Australia
. In recent years, emigration has continued, with Canada
being the main destination. Today, an estimated 250.000 people of local descent live abroad, most of them in Brazil.
Zahlé saw at a time a prosperous commercial activity due to its location midway between Beirut and Damascus. Paradoxically, it regained some of that activity during the Civil War, when the growing instability in Beirut led to a decentralization of economy. Furthermore, taxation was nonexistent due to the collapse of State authority, which Zahlé took advantage of to expand its industrial and commercial sectors. The main industrial area lies to the Southeast, with the chief sectors being paper mills, chemicals, plastics, canning and food processing.
A number of companies and state bodies have their headquarters for the Beqaa region in Zahlé, including the Central Bank of Lebanon
and the Lebanese Chamber of Commerce
.
(55 km (34 mi) West), and from there to all coastal cities, through the Beirut-Damascus road, which passes to the Southwest of the urban area. The journey can take anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the traffic. Damascus
is 73 km (45 mi) to the Southeast, and is normally reached within 1:30 hour, excluding the waiting time at the border. Despite being one of Lebanon's major arteries, the Beirut-Damascus road lacks signaling and dividers on most of its length, which, combined with the chaotic driving, makes it particularly dangerous. It is due to be replaced by a modern motorway, currently under construction, in the next years.
Zahlé is also connected to Baalbeck (36 km (22 mi) to the Northwest) by the trans-Beqaa road, which continues further North towards Homs
. The section stretching along the Zahlé urban area was recently upgraded, while others remain in an extremely poor state.
Due to widespread car ownership, public transportation remains underdeveloped. There is a single bus line, which runs on the central avenue at rather irregular times. Interurban transportation is done by minivans, which stop on the roundabout at the town entrance. Zahlé's railway station was located in Muallaqa, but was abandoned after all rail transport in Lebanon stopped during the Civil War.
There was a plan to convert the Rayak Air Base
, located 10 km (6 mi) to the Northwest of Zahlé, into a civil airport serving the town and the whole valley. A regional airport would be of particular importance during times when the road to Beirut is closed because of heavy snowfall. However, the project froze in the early 2000s, after the runway extension had started, due to corruption and pressure from the Syrian government.
The village of Hezzerta, about 6 km (4 mi) up the mountain, is also part of the municipality of Zahlé, while oddly enough, the village of Qâa er Rîm
(just across the ravine) is not, and forms a separate municipal entity.
There are more than 30 churches in Zahlé, some of which have given their name to the neighborhood they're located in, due to their architectural prominence and the prevailing religious mentality. In addition, several sections of larger neighborhoods are referred to after a church or shrine located in them. The town's oldest church is Saydet ez Zalzale ("Our Lady of the Earthquake") which dates back to 1702. Other notably old structures include:
both located in the same neighborhood as Saydet ez Zalzale
There are also 5 mosques located in the town's outer areas (Haoush el Oumara, Muallaqa and Karak Nuh).
Since most of Zahlé is built on hill slopes, there are few large roads apart from the central avenue (colloquially known as "The Boulevard"), which follows the course of the Berdawni river. Most streets are winding and quite narrow, and the town's older sections are a labyrinth of narrow alleys and stairs. A number of older houses are typical examples of traditional Lebanese architecture
, with pyramidal red tile roofs, thick stone walls with arched openings, and wrought iron balconies. Most of these additionally feature a terrace on the first floor, often centered with a fountain and shaded by a vine. Smaller houses in the most densely built areas lack upper floors and stone elements (having whitewashed walls instead), but usually have a courtyard where the typical fountain and vine can be found.
served with arak. The promenade is closed during late fall and winter, when cold winds from the mountain sweep through the ravine.
Located on a hilltop to the Southwest of Zahlé, this is a 54 m (177 ft) high concrete tower, entirely clad in white marble, and topped with a 10 m (33 ft) high bronze statue of the Virgin Mary, the work of an Italian artist. It is by far Zahlé's most prominent structure, and is visible from practically every spot in town, as well as from several miles around. At its base a chapel that can seat a little over of a hundred people. The top of the tower features sweeping views over Zahlé and the Beqaa valley.
building was constructed in 1850 to serve as the town's Serail
. Located just downhill from Our Lady of Zahlé and Beqaa, it is a mix of local and Ottoman architecture, and features an atrium occupied by an inner garden and surrounded by arcades. Though still known as "the Old Serail", it currently serves as the Town Hall
. In the past, the ground floor used to house the local prison, which suffered of severe overcrowding and substandard conditions. The prison was transferred in 2009 to a new location in Muallaqa, with room for about 800 inmates and much more adequate infrastructure.
, visited by traders from Syria, Iraq and Palestine. During the 20th century, it became the main craftsmen area in town, and the khans and market gave way to dozens of workshops. Today, the Souq has changed again: it is no longer tiled, and the only remaining shops are grocery stores. Only the stone slabs lining the pavement give some idea of its former appearance. There have been talks to renovate the Souk al Blatt, which however still haven't materialized.
. During the Lebanese Civil War, it was occupied by Syrian troops and sustained enormous damage. An ambitious restoration project in the mid 90s was able to bring it back to its former glory. Unfortunately, the hotel closed in February 2011 due to a conflict between its direction and the Catholic Church (its effective owner since 1999) and it is unknown whether and when it will reopen.
depictions of several sites in Lebanon, a small pond with waterlilies, a semi-circular marble tholos, and several sculptures representing famous locals. In 2003, the municipality covered a 25 m (82 ft) fir (the park's tallest) with thousands of lights, in an attempt to break the world record for the largest natural Christmas tree.
winery is worth a visit for its maze of vaults which dates back to Roman
times. The suburb of Karak Nuh
also features a curiosity: a 40 m (131 ft) long stone structure inside the local mosque, which local tradition believes to be the Tomb of Noah
(but is probably a section of a Roman aqueduct)
Furthermore, there are several ancient sites of interest in nearby locations:
Two more sites worth visiting are a more distant trip away:
at virtually any time of the day. Together with the town's gorgeous natural settings, it might have provided with inspiration many of the fifty poets and writers who were born Zahlé over the past century, leading to its designation as "the City of Wine and Poetry". A graceful personification of this nickname stands at the town's entrance: a statue of Erato
, the Muse
of love poetry, holding a bunch of grapes.
Zahlé's most important cultural event is the "Festival of the Vine", traditionally held each September, during which concerts, plays, poetry evenings and artistic exhibitions are organized daily over the course of two or three weeks. The final Saturday evening features the crowning of the "Maid of the Vine", the local beauty queen, and the next afternoon, the festival closes with arguably its most popular event: a parade of floats
held on the town's main avenue. The floats are entirely decorated with flowers according to a central theme.
The other central aspect of the local culture is religious devotion. Zahlé is still a very Catholic and conservative town, and many of its inhabitants display a pride with their religious identity which comes close to fanaticism. Church attendance is high, although it often constitutes a form of social, rather than religious, gathering. It is customary to pay visit to 7 churches on Good Friday. Holidays also endorse a very social character, being a time to visit friends and relatives.
Prophet Elias (Elijah) is the town's patron saint
, whose feast on July 20 is traditionally celebrated with fireworks. Another notable holiday is Corpus-Christi, celebrated on the first Thursday of June with a large-scale procession, with a torch-lit parade being held on the previous evening. The Corpus Christi celebration dates back to 1825, when the town was spared the ravages of bubonic plague.
Colombian pop-star Shakira
is also of local descent through her father.
Rosario
, Argentina
Champagne, France
Belo Horizonte, Brazil Zabrze
Poland
Beqaa Governorate
Beqaa is a governorate in Lebanon with a population of 750,000 inhabitants.-Geography:The Beqaa governorate covers an area of 4,429 km². Béqaa is the primary center of Lebanon's agriculture. The Beqaa governorate forms the main geographical extension of Lebanon and it lies between the Western...
, 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...
. With around 50,000 inhabitants, it is the fourth largest city in Lebanon, after 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...
, Tripoli
Tripoli, Lebanon
Tripoli is the largest city in northern Lebanon and the second-largest city in Lebanon. Situated 85 km north of the capital Beirut, Tripoli is the capital of the North Governorate and the Tripoli District. Geographically located on the east of the Mediterranean, the city's history dates back...
and Jounieh
Jounieh
Jounieh is a Mediterranean coastal city about 16 kilometers north of Beirut, Lebanon. Jounieh is known for its seaside resorts, pubs, restaurants and nightclubs, as well as its old stone souk, ferry, and cablecar , which takes passengers up the mountain to the shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in...
. It is situated 55 km (34 mi) east of the capital Beirut, close to the Beirut-Damascus road, and lies at the junction of the Lebanon mountains
Mount Lebanon
Mount Lebanon , as a geographic designation, is a Lebanese mountain range, averaging above 2,200 meters in height and receiving a substantial amount of precipitation, including snow, which averages around four meters deep. It extends across the whole country along about , parallel to the...
and the Beqaa plateau
Beqaa 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...
, at a mean elevation of 1000m. Zahlé is known as the "Bride of the Beqaa" and "the Neighbor of the Gorge" due to its geographical location and attractiveness, but also as "the City of Wine and Poetry" It is famous throughout Lebanon and the region for its pleasant climate, numerous riverside restaurants and quality arak. Its population is predominantly Catholic.
Origin of name
The name Zahlé is derived from the ArabicArabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
verb zahhala, which means to slide, to displace. The occasional landslides which take place on the deforested hills around the town are probably at the origin of this name.
History
Zahlé was founded in the early 18th century, in an area whose past reaches back some five millennia. It enjoyed a brief period as the region’s first independent state in the 19th century, when it had its own flag and anthem.Due to its relative geographic isolation from the local centers of power in Mount Lebanon and Syria, the town did not have any significant allies in the region to fall back on in case of conflicts or attacks. This led its inhabitants to develop a defensive attitude, which can still be felt today.
Zahlé was burned in 1777 and 1791, and it was burned again and plundered in 1860 during a conflict between the Christian population of the town and 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...
of the neighboring areas.
The construction of the railroad line between 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...
and 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...
in 1885 brought prosperity to Zahlé, which became a freight hub on the trade route between Lebanon, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
and Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, while continuing to serve as a regional agricultural center. The town then grew slowly, but steadily, over the following century.
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...
from 1975 to 1990 brought upheaval to the region. Overall, Zahlé was not affected by the war as much as other regions in the country, and many people from those regions chose to take refuge there because it was considered safe. However, because of its central geostrategic position in Lebanon, it also had its share of black days. At the beginning of the war in 1975, the Syrian army briefly deployed in the town. On December 21, 1980, Syria wanted to deploy its troops in Zahlé again and take over it, but those were intercepted by members of the Lebanese army and citizens. After the killing of five Syrian soldiers, the Syrian army retaliated by continuously bombarding Zahlé. These attacks during Christmas produced a great reaction in the West, especially in France, who described the Syrians' actions as barbaric.
A similar incident occurred six month later: on April 1, 1981, a fire exchange between a Zahlawi position and a Syrian emplacement developed into a full scale Syrian onslaught. Syria proceeded to shell Zahlé for eight days, cutting all routes and preventing any type of aid from reaching the town. Syrian troops tried to enter the town many times but failed repeatedly, making little headway with the Lebanese resistance, and losing several armed vehicles. Syria's actions towards Lebanon created an outrage in the international community. Following the plea of Lebanese communities all over the world, foreign countries, France in particular, pressured Syria to stop their onslaught on Zahlé.
The town has enjoyed much calm ever since the end of the war. However, a bomb detonated inside the local Syriac Orthodox
Syriac Orthodox Church
The Syriac Orthodox Church; is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church based in the Eastern Mediterranean, with members spread throughout the world. The Syriac Orthodox Church claims to derive its origin from one of the first Christian communities, established in Antioch by the Apostle St....
church on March 27, 2011. This incident was possibly connected to the abduction of seven Estonian cyclists
2011 Estonian cyclists abduction
The 2011 Estonian cyclists abduction was a kidnapping case involving seven Estonian cyclists who were abducted shortly after crossing into Lebanon from Syria on 23 March 2011...
not far from Zahlé earlier that month. Fortunately, there was no one inside the church when the bombing occurred, and the next morning, believers attended the Sunday mass which was held in the frontyard.
Geography and climate
Zahlé is built upon a series of foothills of the Lebanon mountains, at the Western edge of the Beqaa plateau, with Mount SannineMount Sannine
Mount Sannine is a mountain in the Mount Lebanon range. Its highest point is 2,628 m above sea level in Lebanon. Mount Sannine, which has a base of limestone, is the source of many mountain springs.- External links :*...
2628 metres (8,622 ft) towering above it. The hills form a narrow valley, which itself is an extension of a ravine to the Northwest ("Wadi el Aarayesh", meaning "Gorge of Vines") Due to this particular topography, most of Zahlé's neighborhoods spread vertically on steep hill slopes, and the town features an elevation difference of more than 200 metres (656 ft) in a narrow geographical area. Zahlé is bisected by the Berdawni river, which flows out of the ravine towards the plateau. The Berdawni was at a time the town's source of drinking water and its most prized natural emblem, but has become polluted with sewage and solid waste in the last decades, and partially covered up to create parking lots.
Climate
Like the rest of Lebanon, Zahlé enjoys a typically 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...
(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...
Csa
CSA
-Agriculture, Farming, and Food:* Community Supported Agriculture* Community Shared Agriculture-Politics, Administration and Military:* Confederate States of America* Canadian Securities Administrators* Canadian Space Agency* Canadian Standards Association...
), characterized by hot and dry summers and mild to cool winters, where most of the precipitation is concentrated. However, due to its high altitude and inland location, in the rain shadow of the Lebanon mountains, its climate features some continental characteristics: summers are usually hotter than coastal areas, with occasional peaks of over 40 °C (104 °F), but humidity is very low, and temperatures usually fall below 20 °C (68 °F) at night, which makes summer particularly pleasant compared to coastal cities. On the other hand, winters are cooler than on the coast. Precipitation is less abundant overall (around 600 mm (24 in) per year, compared to 900 mm (35 in) in Beirut) but snowfalls occur fairly often during cold fronts coming from Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
or Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
, and heavy snow accumulation is not unheard of.
In spring, weather is sometimes affected by the notorious Khamsin winds
Khamsin
Khamsin, khamseen, chamsin or hamsin , also known as khamaseen refers to a dry, hot and dusty local wind blowing in North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Similar winds in the area are sirocco and simoom...
, whose typical effects include a rise in temperature, characteristic yellow/orange skies and muddy rain.
Population
At the end of the eighteenth century, Zahlé had one thousand inhabitants and two hundred houses. By the late 1850s, the population had grown to between seven and ten thousand people. Today, about 50,000 people live in the town proper, making it the fourth largest in Lebanon (though the locals tend to give an unrealistic figure of 200.000 or 300.000). The urban areaUrban area
An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
also includes the neighboring towns of Saadnayel, Taalabaya, Jdita, Chtaura
Chtaura
Chtaura is a town in Lebanon in the fertile Beqaa valley located between the Mount Lebanon and the Anti-Lebanon mountain range. It is located halfway on the Beirut Damascus highway. It is located 44 km from Beirut....
and Kab Elias to the Southeast, which have come to form a single entity since the late 1990s due to anarchic growth, and is home to about 130.000 people. The metropolitan area
Metropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
extends over much of the Zahlé prefecture, and comprises the towns of Bar Elias, Furzol, Ablah, Niha
Niha Bekaa
Niha is a village in the Bekaa Valley about North of Zahlé. It is famous for its Roman archeological ruins, and in particular two lower Roman temples that date back to the 1st century AD.-Etymology:...
and Riyaq
Rayak (Riyaq)
Riyaq , also Rayak, is a Lebanese town in the Beqaa Mohafazat , near the city of Zahlé. It has one military airport, an old train station on the former line from Beirut to Damascus, and a hospital....
, with a total population close to 200.000.
Zahlé in the largest predominantly 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...
town in Lebanon and the Middle East, and the one with the largest 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"...
population. Christians form around 90% of the population, with their composition as follows: around 65% of 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"...
s, 15% percent of Maronites, 10% percent of Orthodox
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
, and the remaining 10% belonging to various minorities. The Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
minority (10% of population) is concentrated in the districts of Karak Nuh
Karak Nuh
Karak is a village in Lebanon. Karak contains a sarcophagus claimed by the locals to be the tomb of Noah....
(where Noah's tomb is allegedly located) and Haoush el Oumara, on the Northwestern and Southeastern edge of town respectively. In the past, there was also a 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...
minority and even a small Jewish population, most of which however emigrated during the 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...
.
Zahlé has been a land of emigration since the early nineteenth century, with most people settling in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. During the Civil War in the 1970s and 1980s, a new flow of migrants left the town for the United States and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. In recent years, emigration has continued, with Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
being the main destination. Today, an estimated 250.000 people of local descent live abroad, most of them in Brazil.
Economy
Being the main town of the Beqaa valley, Lebanon's most important agricultural region, the economy of Zahlé has long been built on agriculture. Grapes are the area's chief product, with vineyards forming a prominent feature of the landscape. Vines are also individually grown on lattice, on many of the older houses' terraces. A sizable part of the local produce supplies the three wineries present in and around the town, and the numerous distilleries producing arak, the local liquor which Zahlé is famous for. In addition to vineyards, cherry, pomegranate, plum and mulberry orchards dot the town's upper hillsides, while potatoes and leafy vegetables are cultivated in the plain. Livestock is also an important resource, with trout fisheries on the upper course of the Berdawni river and poultry farms on the surrounding hills. The Civil War struck a blow to local agriculture, when the Syrian army closed off many vineyards, transforming them into military areas, and the town's siege cut it off from potential markets.Zahlé saw at a time a prosperous commercial activity due to its location midway between Beirut and Damascus. Paradoxically, it regained some of that activity during the Civil War, when the growing instability in Beirut led to a decentralization of economy. Furthermore, taxation was nonexistent due to the collapse of State authority, which Zahlé took advantage of to expand its industrial and commercial sectors. The main industrial area lies to the Southeast, with the chief sectors being paper mills, chemicals, plastics, canning and food processing.
A number of companies and state bodies have their headquarters for the Beqaa region in Zahlé, including the Central Bank of Lebanon
Banque du Liban
Banque du Liban is the central bank of Lebanon. It was established on August 1, 1963 and became fully operational on April 1, 1964. It is currently headed by Riad Salameh, who was named the Middle East's best central bank governor by Euromoney in 2005....
and the Lebanese Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
.
Education
Zahlé is evolving into a regional center of higher education, after many universities have opened branches there in recent years. Institutes of higher education currently represented in the town include:- The State-owned Lebanese UniversityLebanese UniversityThe Lebanese University is the only public institution for higher learning in Lebanon. Founded in 1951, it has 17 faculties as of 2006 and serves various cultural, religious, and social groups of students and teachers....
- Saint Joseph University
- Université Saint-Esprit de KaslikUniversité Saint-Esprit de KaslikUniversité Saint-Esprit de Kaslik , , is a private Catholic higher education institution founded by the Lebanese Maronite Order in 1961....
- Lebanese International UniversityLebanese International UniversityThe Lebanese International University is a private university established by the philanthropist and former Lebanese defense and education minister Abdul Rahim Mourad...
(in the nearby town of Riyaq) - American University of Science and TechnologyAmerican University of Science and TechnologyFounded by Hiam Sakr of Ain Ebel, Lebanon, the American University of Science and Technology, in Beirut, Lebanon, an educational institute, was established on the 21st of March 1994 under the name of AUC , as an external degree program with the State University of New York/Empire State College, New...
- Université Antonine (in the nearby town of Ablah)
- The National Technical Institute
Transportation
Zahlé is connected to BeirutBeirut
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...
(55 km (34 mi) West), and from there to all coastal cities, through the Beirut-Damascus road, which passes to the Southwest of the urban area. The journey can take anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the traffic. 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...
is 73 km (45 mi) to the Southeast, and is normally reached within 1:30 hour, excluding the waiting time at the border. Despite being one of Lebanon's major arteries, the Beirut-Damascus road lacks signaling and dividers on most of its length, which, combined with the chaotic driving, makes it particularly dangerous. It is due to be replaced by a modern motorway, currently under construction, in the next years.
Zahlé is also connected to Baalbeck (36 km (22 mi) to the Northwest) by the trans-Beqaa road, which continues further North towards Homs
Homs
Homs , previously known as Emesa , is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is above sea level and is located north of Damascus...
. The section stretching along the Zahlé urban area was recently upgraded, while others remain in an extremely poor state.
Due to widespread car ownership, public transportation remains underdeveloped. There is a single bus line, which runs on the central avenue at rather irregular times. Interurban transportation is done by minivans, which stop on the roundabout at the town entrance. Zahlé's railway station was located in Muallaqa, but was abandoned after all rail transport in Lebanon stopped during the Civil War.
There was a plan to convert the Rayak Air Base
Rayak Air Base
Rayak Air Base is Lebanon's first air base and the place where the Lebanese Air Force was born on June 1, 1949. Located in the middle of the Bekaa Valley to the east, between the towns of Zahlé and Anjar, it symbolizes the Lebanese Air Force best and home for most of the aircraft types that have...
, located 10 km (6 mi) to the Northwest of Zahlé, into a civil airport serving the town and the whole valley. A regional airport would be of particular importance during times when the road to Beirut is closed because of heavy snowfall. However, the project froze in the early 2000s, after the runway extension had started, due to corruption and pressure from the Syrian government.
Cityscape and architecture
Zahlé's neighborhoods are colloquially divided into "East side" and "West side", depending on which side of the Berdawni river they are situated. The older ones (with the notable exception of Al Muallaqa) are located on the valley's inner slopes, facing each other, while the rest have developed on and under the outer slopes, facing the plateau.- East side neighborhoods include:
- Wadi el Aarayesh (on the edge of the homonymous ravine)
- Ain ed Dawq
- Al Barbara
- Ain el Ghossein (a former area of orchards, which has experienced a construction boom since the early 1990s)
- Haoush ez Zaraane
- Al Midan
- Al Muallaqa ("the Hung Out", which was a originally a separate municipality, but has since been merged with Zahlé)
- Al Madina as Sinaiya ("the Industrial City", home to the town's SyriacSyriac Orthodox ChurchThe Syriac Orthodox Church; is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church based in the Eastern Mediterranean, with members spread throughout the world. The Syriac Orthodox Church claims to derive its origin from one of the first Christian communities, established in Antioch by the Apostle St....
community) - Karak NuhKarak NuhKarak is a village in Lebanon. Karak contains a sarcophagus claimed by the locals to be the tomb of Noah....
(or Karak)
- West side neighborhoods include:
- Ar Rassieh
- Saydet en Naja ("Our Lady of Deliverance")
- Mar Mtanous ("St Antonius")
- Mar Elias ("St Elijah")
- Haret el Faouqa and Haret et Tahta ("Upper District" and "Down District", respectively)
- Haoush el Oumara
- Ksara (the town's most upscale and fastest-developing area)
The village of Hezzerta, about 6 km (4 mi) up the mountain, is also part of the municipality of Zahlé, while oddly enough, the village of Qâa er Rîm
Qâa er Rîm
Qâa er Rîm is a populated place in the Beqaa Governorate of Lebanon.-References:...
(just across the ravine) is not, and forms a separate municipal entity.
There are more than 30 churches in Zahlé, some of which have given their name to the neighborhood they're located in, due to their architectural prominence and the prevailing religious mentality. In addition, several sections of larger neighborhoods are referred to after a church or shrine located in them. The town's oldest church is Saydet ez Zalzale ("Our Lady of the Earthquake") which dates back to 1702. Other notably old structures include:
- the Mar Elias (St Elijah) Church of the Redeemer Congregation (1720)
- the Mar Gerios (St George) Church (1767)
both located in the same neighborhood as Saydet ez Zalzale
- the Catholic Cathedral of Saydet en Naja ("Our Lady of the Deliverance") (1720)
- the Monastery of Mar Elias at Tuwak (1744)
There are also 5 mosques located in the town's outer areas (Haoush el Oumara, Muallaqa and Karak Nuh).
Since most of Zahlé is built on hill slopes, there are few large roads apart from the central avenue (colloquially known as "The Boulevard"), which follows the course of the Berdawni river. Most streets are winding and quite narrow, and the town's older sections are a labyrinth of narrow alleys and stairs. A number of older houses are typical examples of traditional Lebanese architecture
Architecture of Lebanon
The architecture of Lebanon, or often referred to as the Lebanese architecture, is a resemblance of the history and culture of Lebanon. The houses are minuscule representations of family heritage and the old buildings are a outlined by the history of different era's the country lived some of which...
, with pyramidal red tile roofs, thick stone walls with arched openings, and wrought iron balconies. Most of these additionally feature a terrace on the first floor, often centered with a fountain and shaded by a vine. Smaller houses in the most densely built areas lack upper floors and stone elements (having whitewashed walls instead), but usually have a courtyard where the typical fountain and vine can be found.
Berdawni Promenade
The banks of the Berdawni river have long been a place where people of Zahlé came to socialize. The town's most popular attraction is a 300 m (984 ft) promenade along the river, referred to as "Al Wadi" ("the Ravine"). Sheltered between the ravine's limestone cliffs, it is lined up with outdoor restaurants, cafes and playrooms, and shaded by trees. These restaurants specialize in traditional Lebanese mezeMeze
Meze or mezze is a selection of small dishes served in the Mediterranean and Middle East as dinner or lunch, with or without drinks. In Levantine cuisines and in the Caucasus region, meze is served at the beginning of all large-scale meals....
served with arak. The promenade is closed during late fall and winter, when cold winds from the mountain sweep through the ravine.
Our Lady of Zahlé and Beqaa
Town Hall (Old Serail)
This OttomanOttoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
building was constructed in 1850 to serve as the town's Serail
Seraglio
A seraglio or serail is the sequestered living quarters used by wives and concubines in a Turkish household. The word comes from an Italian variant of Turkish saray, from Persian sarai , meaning palace, or the enclosed courts for the wives and concubines of the harem of a house or palace...
. Located just downhill from Our Lady of Zahlé and Beqaa, it is a mix of local and Ottoman architecture, and features an atrium occupied by an inner garden and surrounded by arcades. Though still known as "the Old Serail", it currently serves as the Town Hall
Seat of local government
In local government, a city hall, town hall or a municipal building or civic centre, is the chief administrative building of a city...
. In the past, the ground floor used to house the local prison, which suffered of severe overcrowding and substandard conditions. The prison was transferred in 2009 to a new location in Muallaqa, with room for about 800 inmates and much more adequate infrastructure.
Souq al Blatt
The Souq al Blatt ("Tiled Market"), as its name implies, used to be a narrow tiled street, which during Ottoman times housed a street market and a number of khansCaravanserai
A caravanserai, or khan, also known as caravansary, caravansera, or caravansara in English was a roadside inn where travelers could rest and recover from the day's journey...
, visited by traders from Syria, Iraq and Palestine. During the 20th century, it became the main craftsmen area in town, and the khans and market gave way to dozens of workshops. Today, the Souq has changed again: it is no longer tiled, and the only remaining shops are grocery stores. Only the stone slabs lining the pavement give some idea of its former appearance. There have been talks to renovate the Souk al Blatt, which however still haven't materialized.
The Catholic Cathedral (Our Lady of Salvation)
This grandiose complex dates back to 1720, and consists of a series of stone-clad buildings around a large inner courtyard: the church itself (which is the oldest part), the seat of the Archbishop (a converted former monastery), and a small chapel housing an icon, which is said to be a reproduction of a portrait of the Virgin Mary by Saint Lucas. It also features a monumental entrance, an underground cemetery, and a 40 m (131 ft) high bell tower, atop of which a large marble clock was mounted in 1993. Part of the complex was destroyed by a bomb attack in April 1987, and rebuilt ever since.Grand Hotel Kadri
Hotel Kadri is a prime example of the traditional stone architecture of Zahlé, both in and out. It has long been used by most officials and dignitaries visiting the town, as its largest and most luxurious hotel. The Ottomans converted it to a hospital during World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. During the Lebanese Civil War, it was occupied by Syrian troops and sustained enormous damage. An ambitious restoration project in the mid 90s was able to bring it back to its former glory. Unfortunately, the hotel closed in February 2011 due to a conflict between its direction and the Catholic Church (its effective owner since 1999) and it is unknown whether and when it will reopen.
Menshieh Park
Situated across the street from Grand Hotel Kadri, Menshieh is Zahlé's oldest and shadiest park (newly opened J.T.Skaff Park is larger, but contains considerably fewer trees). The park houses a collection of marble tables with mosaicMosaic
Mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...
depictions of several sites in Lebanon, a small pond with waterlilies, a semi-circular marble tholos, and several sculptures representing famous locals. In 2003, the municipality covered a 25 m (82 ft) fir (the park's tallest) with thousands of lights, in an attempt to break the world record for the largest natural Christmas tree.
Archaeological sites
Zahlé in itself offers little archaeological interest, however the Château KsaraChâteau Ksara
Château Ksara is a wine company in Beqaa Valley Lebanon. Starting out in 1857 by the local members of the Christian community, Ksara developed the first dry wine in Lebanon...
winery is worth a visit for its maze of vaults which dates back to Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
times. The suburb of Karak Nuh
Karak Nuh
Karak is a village in Lebanon. Karak contains a sarcophagus claimed by the locals to be the tomb of Noah....
also features a curiosity: a 40 m (131 ft) long stone structure inside the local mosque, which local tradition believes to be the Tomb of Noah
Noah
Noah was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the tenth and last of the antediluvian Patriarchs. The biblical story of Noah is contained in chapters 6–9 of the book of Genesis, where he saves his family and representatives of all animals from the flood by constructing an ark...
(but is probably a section of a Roman aqueduct)
Furthermore, there are several ancient sites of interest in nearby locations:
- In Kab Elias (12 km (7 mi) to the Southwest): rock sculptures of a bull and three deities that seem to be of Roman origin
- In AnjarAnjar, LebanonAnjar , 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...
(18 km (11 mi) to the South): the unique ruins of an UmayyadUmayyadThe Umayyad Caliphate was the second of the four major Arab caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. It was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty, whose name derives from Umayya ibn Abd Shams, the great-grandfather of the first Umayyad caliph. Although the Umayyad family originally came from the...
palace built following a Roman layout, using recycled Hellenistic and Roman material. The palace is classified as a World Heritage SiteWorld Heritage SiteA UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
. A Roman temple also stands on a hilltop above nearby Majdel Anjar. - Above the village of Furzol (8 km (5 mi) to the Northwest): a series of rock-cut Roman tombs in the limestone cliffs
- In NihaNiha BekaaNiha is a village in the Bekaa Valley about North of Zahlé. It is famous for its Roman archeological ruins, and in particular two lower Roman temples that date back to the 1st century AD.-Etymology:...
(11 km (7 mi) to the Northwest): two exquisite Roman temples bearing PhoeniciaPhoeniciaPhoenicia , 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 architectural elements (just outside the village), and two others in need of restoration (higher up, in the area referred to as "the Forteress").
Two more sites worth visiting are a more distant trip away:
- Kamed al LawzKamid al lawzKamid al lawz is located in West Bekaa, Lebanon. Its population is from the Sunni Muslim sect.This town was the site of major German archaeological excavations between 1963 and 1981...
(32 km (20 mi) to the South) is the most important Bronze AgeBronze AgeThe Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
settlement in Lebanon, with finds from the Phoenician, Persian, Hellenistic, Roman and ByzantineByzantineByzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
periods having been uncovered as well - The world-famous Roman archaeological complex of Baalbeck (another World Heritage SiteWorld Heritage SiteA UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
) is located 36 km (22 mi) to the Northwest.
Culture
Zahlé's culture has long revolved around its signature crop, the grape, and its products, wine and arak. Arak, in particular, has traditionally been served in cafésCafé
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
at virtually any time of the day. Together with the town's gorgeous natural settings, it might have provided with inspiration many of the fifty poets and writers who were born Zahlé over the past century, leading to its designation as "the City of Wine and Poetry". A graceful personification of this nickname stands at the town's entrance: a statue of Erato
Erato
In Greek mythology, Erato is one of the Greek Muses. The name would mean "desired" or "lovely", if derived from the same root as Eros, as Apollonius of Rhodes playfully suggested in the invocation to Erato that begins Book III of his Argonautica....
, the Muse
Muse
The Muses in Greek mythology, poetry, and literature, are the goddesses who inspire the creation of literature and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge, related orally for centuries in the ancient culture, that was contained in poetic lyrics and myths...
of love poetry, holding a bunch of grapes.
Zahlé's most important cultural event is the "Festival of the Vine", traditionally held each September, during which concerts, plays, poetry evenings and artistic exhibitions are organized daily over the course of two or three weeks. The final Saturday evening features the crowning of the "Maid of the Vine", the local beauty queen, and the next afternoon, the festival closes with arguably its most popular event: a parade of floats
Float (parade)
A float is a decorated platform, either built on a vehicle or towed behind one, which is a component of many festive parades, such as those of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, the Carnival of Viareggio, the Maltese Carnival, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Key West Fantasy Fest parade, the...
held on the town's main avenue. The floats are entirely decorated with flowers according to a central theme.
The other central aspect of the local culture is religious devotion. Zahlé is still a very Catholic and conservative town, and many of its inhabitants display a pride with their religious identity which comes close to fanaticism. Church attendance is high, although it often constitutes a form of social, rather than religious, gathering. It is customary to pay visit to 7 churches on Good Friday. Holidays also endorse a very social character, being a time to visit friends and relatives.
Prophet Elias (Elijah) is the town's patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
, whose feast on July 20 is traditionally celebrated with fireworks. Another notable holiday is Corpus-Christi, celebrated on the first Thursday of June with a large-scale procession, with a torch-lit parade being held on the previous evening. The Corpus Christi celebration dates back to 1825, when the town was spared the ravages of bubonic plague.
Notable natives
- Said AklSaid AklSaid Akl is a Lebanese poet, writer, and playwright. He is considered one of the most important modern Lebanese poets. He is also a staunch advocate of Lebanese identity and nationalism and the Lebanese language, designing a Latin-based Lebanese alphabet made up of 37 letters.-Early life:Akl was...
, poet, philosopher and politician - Riad Maalouf, poet
- Najib Hankash, poet
- Elias Habshi, poet
- Joseph RayaJoseph RayaJoseph Raya , born in Zahlé, Lebanon, was a prominent Melkite Greek Catholic archbishop, theologian, civil rights advocate and author. He served as metropolitan of Akko, Haifa, Nazareth and All Galilee from 1968 until 1974 and was particularly known for his commitment to seeking reconciliation...
, theologian, civil rights advocate and author - Najwa KaramNajwa KaramNajwa Karam is a Multi-Platinum, Best-Selling Lebanese Arab recording artist and Philanthropist. Najwa, widely known for her Mawwal and other musical talents, has surpassed musical and political limits in building her Empire, as she has effectively helped change the Arabic music industry in its...
, singer - Wael KfouryWael KfouryMichel Emile Kfoury , known by his stage name Wael Kfoury , is a well-known Lebanese singer, musician and songwriter.-Beginnings:...
, singer - Isabel BayrakdarianIsabel BayrakdarianIsabel Bayrakdarian is a Grammy Award-nominated Armenian Canadian opera singer.-Early life:Born in Lebanon in 1974, she moved to Canada as a teenager. Bayrakdarian graduated in 1997 from the University of Toronto with an honours B.A.Sc...
, Lebanese-Canadian opera singer - Fady MaaloufFady MaaloufFady Maalouf is a Lebanese-German pop singer. He is known as runner up of the fifth season of Deutschland sucht den Superstar, the German version of Pop Idol.-Early life:...
, Lebanese-German pop singer - Peter IV GeraigiryPeter IV GeraigiryPeter IV Barakat Géraigiry was patriarch of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church from 1898 until 1902.-Life:...
, Melkite Catholic patriarch 1898-1902 - Salim WardehSalim WardehSalim Wardeh was the Minister of Culture in Lebanon until June 2011, when he was replaced by Gaby Layoun. Wardeh is a Catholic Christian and is a member of the Lebanese Forces which in turn is a member of the March 14 Alliance. Wardeh is a member of the board of directors of Tell Shiha Hospital...
, Lebanese Minister of Culture 2009-2011 - Elias HrawiElias HrawiElias Hrawi was a President of Lebanon, whose term of office ran from 1989 to 1998.He was a native of the Beqaa valley. He was elected on 24 November 1989, two days after the assassination of René Moawad, who had held office for just seventeen days...
President of Lebanon 1989-1998 - Roy SamahaRoy SamahaRoy Nicolas Samaha is a Lebanese professional basketball center currently playing with Hekmeh of the Lebanese Basketball League...
, basketball player - Shafiqah ShashaShafiqah ShashaShafiqah Shasha was a Lebanese-Australian matriarch who played a significant role as a trader in the early 20th Century garment industry first in Redfern, then in rural New South Wales. Shasha was born on the 3rd of July, 1877 in the village of Zahlé in what is now Lebanon to a Maronite family...
, Lebanese-Australian pioneer - Elie Samaha, Lebanese-American socialite and producer
- Rony Seikaly Rony SeikalyRonald Fred "Rony" Seikaly is a retired Lebanese-born American professional basketball player.-Early life:Seikaly was born in Beirut, Lebanon. At the age of 9, Rony moved from Beirut where he'd been attending elementary school at the Athenee de Beirut to Greece, where he spent the rest of his youth...
, former Miami Heat center and 11-year NBA veteran who finished his career with a near double-double average (14.7 points and 9.5 rebounds).
Colombian pop-star Shakira
Shakira
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll , known professionally as Shakira , is a Colombian singer who emerged in the music scene of Colombia and Latin America in the early 1990s...
is also of local descent through her father.
Twin towns — Sister cities
Zahlé is twinned with:Rosario
Rosario
Rosario is the largest city in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina. It is located northwest of Buenos Aires, on the western shore of the Paraná River and has 1,159,004 residents as of the ....
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
Champagne, France
Champagne, France
Champagne is a historic province in the northeast of France, now best known for the sparkling white wine that bears its name.Formerly ruled by the counts of Champagne, its western edge is about 100 miles east of Paris. The cities of Troyes, Reims, and Épernay are the commercial centers of the area...
Belo Horizonte, Brazil Zabrze
Zabrze
Zabrze is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. The west district of the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union is a metropolis with a population of around 2 million...
Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...