Baskinta ( ar, بسكنتا) is a Lebanese village situated at an altitude ranging from 1250 metres above sea level and climbs up to approximately 1800 meters of height at Qanat Bakish, making it one of the highest villages of

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 located 43 kilometers north east of

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 ...

. Baskinta is known for its natural environment and moderate climate. Baskinta is becoming a cycling spot for

mountain biking Mountain biking is a sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, usually using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and pe ...

amateurs with some off-road trails and a developed cycling community. It was also the capital city of the Syriac Christian state of Marada. Baskinta is also known for the variety of its fruit especially apples and vineyards. The residents are

Christians Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

: 70%

Maronites The Maronites ( ar, الموارنة; syr, ܡܖ̈ܘܢܝܐ) are a Christian ethnoreligious group native to the Eastern Mediterranean and Levant region of the Middle East, whose members traditionally belong to the Maronite Church, with the largest ...

and 30%

Greek Orthodox The term Greek Orthodox Church (Greek language, Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία, ''Ellinorthódoxi Ekklisía'', ) has two meanings. The broader meaning designates "the Eastern Orthodox Church, entire body of Orthodox (Chalced ...

. There are 15,000 residents in Baskinta and 3 schools: the Saint Pierre College Brothers, the Official High School of Baskinta and the Saint Vincent School.

History

Baskinta and the surrounding areas contain the ruins of monuments, cemeteries, and pottery remains dating as far back as the Phoenician and

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

ages. The Greeks built several palaces there, of which enormous stones, pillars, and underground passages still exist. The temple in the place known as Qanat Bakish was originally dedicated to

Bacchus In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, myth, Dionysus (; grc, wikt:Διόνυσος, Διόνυσος ) is the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstas ...

, the Greek god of merriment and wine. The Faqra temple ruins dedicated to

Adonis In Greek mythology, Adonis, ; derived from the Canaanite word ''ʼadōn'', meaning "lord". R. S. P. Beekes, ''Etymological Dictionary of Greek'', Brill, 2009, p. 23. was the mortal lover of the goddess Aphrodite. One day, Adonis was gored by ...

and

Atargatis Atargatis (; grc, Ἀτάργατις, translit=Atárgatis or arc, , translit=ʿtrʿth; syc, ܬܪܥܬܐ, translit=Tarʿaṯā) was the chief goddess of northern Syria in Classical antiquity. Ctesias also used the name Derketo ( grc-koi, Δε� ...

are also found 11 kilometers north of Baskinta near

Mzaar Kfardebian Mzaar Kfardebian ( ar, مزار كفردبيان — formerly ''Faraya Mzaar'') is a ski area in Lebanon and the largest ski resort in the Middle East. It is located one hour away from Beirut, the capital of Lebanon. It is also referred to as Ou ...

, the largest ski resort in the Middle East. Gold coins and jewels that belonged to Queen Helena (Saint Helen of Constantinople, (c. 250 – c. 330), mother of

Constantine the Great Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to Constantine the Great and Christianity, convert to Christiani ...

), have been found in the area. The

Cross of All Nations The Cross of All Nations is a monumental cross located in Qanat Bakish, a locality close to the Lebanese town of Baskinta. The cross was built near a church dating back to 1898 on a land belonging to the Lebanese Maronite Order. At tall, the C ...

was built in Baskinta to commemorate Saint Helen's pilgrimage. Baskinta is also the native village of

Mikhail Naimy Mikha'il Nu'ayma ( ar, ميخائيل نعيمة, ; US legal name: Michael Joseph Naimy), better known in English by his pen name Mikhail Naimy (October 17, 1889 – February 28, 1988), was a Lebanese poet, novelist, and philosopher, famous for ...

, one of Lebanon's greatest thinkers and literary figures known for his spiritual writings, notably “

The Book of Mirdad ''The Book of Mirdad'' is an allegorical book of philosophy by Lebanese author Mikha'il Na'ima. The book was first published in Lebanon in 1948 and was initially written in English, with Na'ima later translating it into Arabic. Na'ima initially so ...

”. A poet, novelist and philosopher, Naimy co-founded, along with

Khalil Gibran Gibran Khalil Gibran ( ar, جُبْرَان خَلِيل جُبْرَان, , , or , ; January 6, 1883 – April 10, 1931), usually referred to in English as Kahlil Gibran (pronounced ), was a Lebanese-American writer, poet and visual artist ...

and others, the New York literary society known as the

Pen League The Mahjar ( ar, المهجر, translit=al-mahjar, one of its more literal meanings being "the Arab people, Arab diaspora") was a literary movement started by Arabic-speaking writers who had emigrated to America from Ottoman Empire, Ottoman-ruled L ...

. He personified Baskinta's natural scenarios in most of his writings. It was here in a hut surrounded by extraordinary rock formations that Naimeh drafted much of his monumental work. The family home of award-winning novelist and journalist

Amin Maalouf Amin Maalouf (; ar, أمين معلوف; born 25 February 1949) is a Lebanese-born French"Amin ...

Ain el Qabou Ain (, ; frp, En) is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Eastern France. Named after the Ain river, it is bordered by the Saône and Rhône rivers. Ain is located on the country's eastern edge, on the Swiss border, where i ...

is near Baskinta, where his novel " The Rock of Tanois" is also set. Th
Baskinta Literary Trail
a 24-kilometer hiking path, offers hikers a chance to discover 22 literary landmarks related to several acclaimed Lebanese literary figures from the area.

Location

In addition to its ruins, there are hotels, and chalets sought by skiers. Baskinta lies ahead of

, and at the foot of

Mount Sannine Mount Sannine ( ar, جبل صنين / ALA-LC: ''Jabal Șannīn'') is a mountain in the Mount Lebanon range. Its highest point is 2,628 m (8,622 feet) above sea level in Lebanon. Mount Sannine, which has a base of limestone, is the source of many ...

. The name Baskinta means "the abode, the residence, and the place" according to the Syriac Etymology. This traditional summer resort has views of the surrounding mountains. From Beirut head north toward Antelias, about a 12 km drive before you turn east to drive uphill towards

Bikfaya Bikfaya ( ar, بكفيا, also spelled Bickfaya, Beckfayya, or Bekfaya) is a town in the Matn District region of Mount Lebanon. Its stone houses with red-tiled roofs resting amidst pine and oak forests make Bikfaya one of the most sought-after sub ...

, passing through

Bteghrine Bteghrine ( ar, بتغرين, also spelled Bteghrin and Btighrin) is a municipality in the Matn District of the Mount Lebanon Governorate of Lebanon. Etymology The exact origin of the town name ''Bteghrine'' is unknown, but possibilities inclu ...

towards Baskinta. From Baskinta it is possible to climb to the 2,628-meter summit of Mount Sannine, starting off at Nabaa Sannine, a village 7 km up the mountain.

Climate

Baskinta has a

Hot-summer mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

(Csa).

Notable people

- writer and novelist. *

Amin Maalouf Amin Maalouf (; ar, أمين معلوف; born 25 February 1949) is a Lebanese-born French"Amin ...

- award-winning novelist. * Georges Hobeika- Haute couture fashion designer. *

Bethany Kehdy Bethany Kehdy (Arabic: بيثاني كعدي) (born 29 August 1981) is a Lebanese-American culinary expert and cookbook author specializing in the cuisines of the Mediterranean, Middle East and North Africa. Early life Bethany was born in ...

- culinary expert and cookbook author. *

José Rafael Abinader José Rafael Abinader Wasaf ( ar, خوسيه رافائيل أبي نادر واصف; 2 March 1929 – 4 November 2018) was a politician, lawyer and writer from the Dominican Republic and Vice-President of the Dominican Revolutionary Party. He ...

- politician, lawyer and writer.

References

External links