Aley ( ar, عاليه) is a major city in
Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...
. It is the capital of the
Aley District and fourth largest city in Lebanon.
The city is located on
Mount Lebanon
Mount Lebanon ( ar, جَبَل لُبْنَان, ''jabal lubnān'', ; syr, ܛܘܪ ܠܒ݂ܢܢ, ', , ''ṭūr lewnōn'' french: Mont Liban) is a mountain range in Lebanon. It averages above in elevation, with its peak at .
Geography
The Mount Le ...
, 15 km uphill from
Beirut
Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
on the freeway to
Damascus
)), is an adjective which means "spacious".
, motto =
, image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg
, image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg
, seal_type = Seal
, map_caption =
, ...
. Aley has the nickname "Bride of the Summer resorts" ( ar, عروس المصايف) due to its cooler climate during the summer touristic season. Other nicknames include "Capital of the Mountain: ( ar, عاصمة الجبل) and the "Lebanese City of Fog" ( ar, مدينة الضباب), due to its mountain foggy weather.
History
Aley gained prominence upon the completion of the
Beirut–Damascus Railway in the mid-1890s. The railroad provided the residents of Beirut easy means of transportation to the mountains, and this made Aley a popular destination to spend the summer months and enjoy its pleasant climate. It was the site of a serious accident on 12 April 1904, when part of the locomotive exploded and the train fell backwards down the 7% grade, killing 8 and seriously injuring another 21.
The city was for a while the summer capital of the
Ottoman governors of Mount Lebanon.
Kamil Pasha
Kamil is a name used in a number of languages.
Kamil () is a Polish language, Polish, Czech language, Czech, and Slovak language, Slovak given name, equivalent to the Italian Camillo, Spanish/Portuguese Camilo and French Camille (given name) ...
made Aley his capital and organised a Diwan, later used by
Djemal Pasha where he
executed a large number of Lebanese and Syrian Arab nationalists who sought independence from the Ottomans. Also, a Jewish community once frequented this multi-cultural city, and they maintained a synagogue in Souk Aley, but it has since been abandoned. In 2001, the municipality of Aley began renovating the downtown area, especially its historic souk, and the city quickly revived its role in Lebanon's tourism.
Etymology
The word "Aley" means "high place" in
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
and in
Aramaic
The Aramaic languages, short Aramaic ( syc, ܐܪܡܝܐ, Arāmāyā; oar, 𐤀𐤓𐤌𐤉𐤀; arc, 𐡀𐡓𐡌𐡉𐡀; tmr, אֲרָמִית), are a language family containing many varieties (languages and dialects) that originated in ...
, referring to the city's high altitude above sea level (from 600m up to 950m).
Tourism
Aley is a major tourist destination in Lebanon and the Middle East. Its location and climate made it a favorable venue for shopping and dining, especially for wealthy Arabs from
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Persis, Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a Mediterranean sea (oceanography), me ...
states. This resort city with its increasing number of tourists and visitors has become the most flourishing resort in Mount Lebanon, and thus has garnered its historical name as "The Bride of Summers". The "Souk Aley" is a relatively long historical boulevard lined with palm trees; there are numerous redroofed stone houses erected on the east side of the street while several street cafes, outdoor restaurants, and nightlife pubs occupy its western side. In addition to these, there are tens of
antique shop
An antique shop (or antiques shop) is a retail store specializing in the selling of antiques. Antiques shops can be located either locally or, with the advent of the Internet, found online.
An antiques shop can also be located within an anti ...
s and retail boutiques along the street, which forms the heart of Aley. Aley also hosts a well-known casino and many public swimming pools like the Piscine Aley, Country Club and Heritage. There's also many hotels like the Highland and the Golden Tulip that has a bowling arena and a public swimming pool and spa. There's also malls in Aley like the Aley Center, and many Lebanese and international restaurants.
In 1910 Aley received the founders of the
American University of Beirut
The American University of Beirut (AUB) ( ar, الجامعة الأميركية في بيروت) is a private, non-sectarian, and independent university chartered in New York with its campus in Beirut, Lebanon. AUB is governed by a private, aut ...
(AUB), they built castles and lived there for several years. During the 1960s several artists performed in the hotels and the casinos of Aley such as
Umm Kulthum,
Mohammed Abdel Wahab and
Farid Al Atrash
Farid al-Atrash ( ar, فريد الأطرش; October 19, 1916 – December 26, 1974), also written Farid El-Atrache, was a Syrian-Egyptian composer, singer, virtuoso oud player, and actor. Having immigrated to Egypt at the age of only nine ...
.
Aley is the capital of the
Aley District and it has 18 municipality members. In 2009 the municipality joined the
Yasa in a safety program to reduce the rate of accidents.
Climate
Aley has a
hot-summer Mediterranean climate, with warm and rainless summers, mild autumns and springs, and cool rainy winters. Snow can occasionally fall in colder years. The city is known in Lebanon for its often foggy weather.
Demographics
Aley is characterized by having a very wide variety of residents, representing all the Lebanese inclusively.
The permanent residents of Aley are predominantly
Druze people
The Druze (; ar, دَرْزِيٌّ, ' or ', , ') are an Arabic-speaking Western esotericism, esoteric ethnoreligious group from Western Asia who adhere to the Druze faith, an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic, monotheistic, Syncretic religio ...
. It can be claimed to be the City with the largest Druze population in the world. While the municipality of Aley is mostly made up of Druze with a large minority of Christians (~30%), the greater Aley area is predominantly Christian with towns like
Kahale
Kahale ( ar, الكحالة), is a mountain village in the district of Aley (Caza Aley), Lebanon, 13 km from Beirut. Population estimated at 11,000 residents, most of whom are Maronite Catholic.
Etymology
Kahale is derived from Syriac and Ar ...
,
Bsous
Bsous is a village in the Aley District of Mount Lebanon with an estimated population of 6,000. It is located 200 to 730 meters above sea level and 14 kilometres from the capital, Beirut. It is both a summer resort as well as being inhabited duri ...
and
Souk El Gharb being mostly Christian.
There are also many Lebanese who are not from Aley city living in Aley, many of whom are wealthy people who reside in the Summer, and others being people from nearby towns, most notably
Bhamdoun,
Sawfar
Sawfar ( ar, صوفر), also spelled as ''Saoufar'' or ''Sofar'') is a village in the Aley District of the Mount Lebanon Governorate in Lebanon. It is situated at an altitude of 1,320 meters and next to the main road linking Beirut with Damascus i ...
,
Aabadiyeh,
Sharoun,
Ghaboun and
Majdel Baana. Many seasonal residents, especially from
Arab Persian Gulf countries, also own summer homes here to escape the extreme heat and humidity of the
Persian Gulf Region
The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a mediterranean sea in Western Asia. The body ...
.
The city has also seen a massive influx of Syrian refugees since 2011.
Culture and education
The city contains 15 schools, 5 public and 10 private. The largest, oldest, and most important of these schools is
The Universal College in Aley
The Universal College - Aley (UCA; ''Al - Jamiaa Al Wataniya'') was founded in 1907 and operated as a K–12 institution for many decades as an independent college preparatory school.
In 1983, UCA was forced to close its doors to students due to ...
(UCA) which is considered one of the best schools in the country. It was built in 1907 by Mr. Shebl Khoury.
There are also 2 universities in the city: the
Lebanese University
The Lebanese University (LU) (, ) is the only public university in Beirut, Lebanon. It is ranked #701–750 worldwide in terms of education.
The creation of the Lebanese University was an idea first mentioned in the speech of the former Minist ...
-Faculty of Economic Science and Business Administrations, and the Modern University of Business and Science (MUBS). There's also the
University of Balamand
The University of Balamand (UOB; ar, جامعة البلمند) is a private institution, secular in its policies and approach to education. It welcomes faculty, students, and staff from all faiths and national or ethnic origins. The university i ...
located in Souk Al Gharb in the suburbia of Aley as well as the
American University of Science and Technology
The American University of Science and Technology (AUST) (french: link=no, Université américaine de sciences et technologie; ar, link=no, الجامعة الأميركية للعلوم والتكنولوجيا) is a private, non-sectarian, an ...
(AUST) located in the nearby town of Bhamdoun.
Aley has four hospitals: The National Hospital of Aley (30 beds), Al Iman Hospital (52 beds), Al Chehayeb Hospital (20beds) and Al Ouyoun Hospital, which specializes in ophthalmology.
Sport
Akhaa Ahli Aley FC
Akhaa Ahli Aley Football Club (), commonly referred to as Akhaa Ahli Aley, Akhaa Ahli or simply Akhaa, is a football club based in Aley, Lebanon, that competes in the .
Akhaa have played in the Lebanese Premier League since 2010–11 season, ...
, a football club playing in the , is based in Aley.
Theres also Martial Arts Academies like Black Belt Academy and Gold GYM
See also
*
Druze in Lebanon
References
External links
Aaley localiban
{{coord, 33, 48, N, 35, 36, E, region:LB_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki, display=title
.
Druze communities in Lebanon
Eastern Orthodox Christian communities in Lebanon
Maronite Christian communities in Lebanon
Melkite Christian communities in Lebanon
Tourist attractions in Lebanon