Bsharri ( ar, بشرّي ''Bšarrī''; syr, ܒܫܪܝ; also Romanized ''Becharre'', ''Bcharre'', ''Bsharre'', (''Bcharre El Arez بشرّي الارز'') is a town at an altitude of about to . It is located in the
Bsharri District
Bsharri District is one of the 7 districts (''qadaa, قضاء'') of the North Governorate, Lebanon.
Overview and geography
Surrounded by mountains, the Bsharri District sits on cliffs. The district is bordered by the Zgharta and Miniyeh-Danniye ...
of the
North Governorate
North Governorate ( ar, الشمال, ') (Lebanese pr. ''eš šmél'') (French: Gouvernorat du Liban-Nord) is one of the governorates of Lebanon. Its capital is Tripoli. Ramzi Nohra has been its governor since May 2, 2014. The population of North ...
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 ...
.
Bsharri is the town of the only remaining and preserved original
Cedars of God (''
Cedrus libani''), and is the birthplace of the famous poet, painter and sculptor
Khalil Gibran who now has a
museum
A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...
in the town to honour him. Moreover, Bsharri is home to Lebanon's oldest skiing area, the
Cedars Ski Resort
Cedars Ski Resort Bsharri is a ski resort located in the Bsharri mountains of north Lebanon. The natural area known as Cedars of God is nearby. Ariz (or Arz) means cedar in Arabic, and is sometimes used to refer to the area.
It is Lebanon's oldest ...
, and to the country's first ski lift, built in 1953. The resort is about a two-hour drive and 130 km (81 mi) 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 ...
.
Qurnat as Sawdā Mountain in Bsharri is the highest peak in the
Levant
The Levant () is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia. In its narrowest sense, which is in use today in archaeology and other cultural contexts, it is eq ...
, at 3,088 meters above sea level.
The nearby site of the
Holy Kadisha Valley shelters some of the most ancient Christian monastic communities of the
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
. A true heritage of
Maronite Christianity
The Maronite Church is an Eastern Catholic Churches, Eastern Catholic ''sui iuris'' particular church in full communion with the pope and the worldwide Catholic Church, with self-governance under the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches. Th ...
in the Middle East, the town has also the biggest cathedral in the region, the
Saint Saba Sabbas (Σάββας pronounced Sávvas) is a Greek masculine given name.
Variant forms or transliterations include Sabas, Savas, Savvas, Saba, Sava, Savva, Savo and Sawa.
Sabbas may refer to, chronologically:
* Sabbas Stratelates (died 272) ...
Cathedral, built by
Anthony II Peter Arida
Anthony II Peter Arida (August 2, 1863 – May 19, 1955) (or ''Selim Ben Abdel Ahad Arida'', ''Antoine Boutros Arida'', ar, أنطونيوس الثاني بطرس عريضة) was bishop of the Maronite Catholic Archeparchy of Tripoli and 73rd Ma ...
. Bsharri is sometimes called "the city of churches" as it houses some 37 churches.
The
Kadisha Valley and
Cedars of God comprise a
UNESCO World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
.
History
Maronite Christians fleeing persecution sought refuge in its mountainous terrain in the 7th Century AD. The
Kadisha Valley, below the town, became the spiritual center of the Maronite Church. The town was known as Buissera by the
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were in ...
.
In Lebanon, Bsharri natives are characterized as very courageous and tribal. They are known across the northern region for their hospitality and patriotism. They are especially known for their distinct accent when they speak Lebanese Arabic. Unlike other parts of Lebanon,
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 ...
was spoken in Bsharri well into the 19th century. As a result, Bsharri natives developed an unmistakably strong accent which lasts to this day.
During the
Lebanese civil war
The Lebanese Civil War ( ar, الحرب الأهلية اللبنانية, translit=Al-Ḥarb al-Ahliyyah al-Libnāniyyah) was a multifaceted armed conflict that took place from 1975 to 1990. It resulted in an estimated 120,000 fatalities a ...
Many of its youth joined the
Lebanese Phalanges
The Kataeb Party ( ar, حزب الكتائب اللبنانية '), also known in English as the Phalanges, is a Christian political party in Lebanon. The party played a major role in the Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990). In decline in the lat ...
at the start of the civil war. In 1986
Samir Geagea
Samir Farid Geagea ( ar, سمير فريد جعجع Lebanese pron.: , also spelled Samir Ja'ja'; born 25 October 1952) is a Lebanese politician and militia commander who has been leading the Lebanese Forces party and dissolved militia ...
, a Bsharri native, became head of the
Lebanese Forces
The Lebanese Forces ( ar, القوات اللبنانية '')'' is a Lebanese Christian-based political party and former militia during the Lebanese Civil War. It currently holds 19 of the 128 seats in Lebanon's parliament and is therefore th ...
(LF) militia (now a political party). Many LF militants were drawn from the town during the civil war.
Culture
Today, the town is located in a highly touristic zone including many attractions such as the
Khalil Gibran Museum, the
Kadisha Valley, the Kadisha Grotto, the
Cedars of God forest and several ski resorts.
Bsharri is home to a Lebanese
Red Cross
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...
First Aid Center,
Our Centers
also to "The Maronite Scouts" that started their activities in early 2000.
On July 13, 2018, International Colombia
Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
n singer of Lebanese heritage, Shakira
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977), professionally known by the mononym Shakira, is a Colombian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Barranquilla, she has been referred to as the " Queen of Latin Music" and is ...
, performed in Bsharri during the Cedars International Festival in the presence of 13,000 people. The visit was a part of her 2018 world tour, the El Dorado World Tour.
On March 22, 2019, The municipalities of Bsharri, Lebanon, and Val d’Isère
Val may refer to: Val-a
Film
* ''Val'' (film), an American documentary about Val Kilmer, directed by Leo Scott and Ting Poo
Military equipment
* Aichi D3A, a Japanese World War II dive bomber codenamed "Val" by the Allies
* AS Val, a Sov ...
, France inked an agreement to promote cultural exchange between the two towns. The cultural exchange program aims to build bridges for French and Lebanese youth that want to experience the unique cultural relationship and similarities the two countries possess. The mayor of Val d’Isère, Marc Bauer, led a French delegation to Lebanon to inaugurate a program aimed at promoting cultural and athletic exchange between the two famous ski locations.
Andrea Bocelli
Andrea Bocelli (; born 22 September 1958) is an Italian tenor and multi-instrumentalist. He was born visually impaired, with congenital glaucoma, and at the age of 12, Bocelli became completely blind, following a brain hemorrhage resulting fro ...
performed at the opening ceremony of The Cedars International Festival-Bsharri (CIF) in the presence of 8,000 people. Before the festival, Mr. Bocelli visited the Cedars of God Forest Bsharri where he was received by the head of the Lebanese Forces Party Dr Samir Geagea
Samir Farid Geagea ( ar, سمير فريد جعجع Lebanese pron.: , also spelled Samir Ja'ja'; born 25 October 1952) is a Lebanese politician and militia commander who has been leading the Lebanese Forces party and dissolved militia ...
.
Bsharri natives are also known for their strong Christian faith. Throughout the year, many religious festivities and commemorations take place in the town attracting thousands from neighbouring villages.
Cedars ski resort
The Cedars resort is located in the North of Lebanon. Skiers came to the resort as early as 1920, and have been returning there ever since. The first lift was installed by the government in 1953.
The Cedars resort has a slightly longer season than the others, sometimes beginning early November and often lasting until late April. Piste
A ''piste'' () is a marked ski run or path down a mountain for snow skiing, snowboarding, or other mountain sports.
This European term is French d and off-piste skiing is possible, as well as Nordic skiing and skidoo rides.
In summer 2005, The Cedars resort installed 3 new chairlifts to replace the old T-bars and extend the ski runs. 15 million US Dollars have lately been invested to upgrade the facilities and expand the resort to higher standard of in terms of accommodation, equipment, safety, and services.
An ongoing project envisages a gondola that would carry skiers and visitors from the parking level at to the highest accessible summit of . There is no indication yet of when and whether will this be finalized. To comply with international regulations, a refuge with a capacity of 400 persons should also be built at the top of the gondola, and equipped with telescopes allowing vistas as far away as the island of Cyprus.
Geography
Climate
Bsharri has a continental 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 ...
(''Csb/Dsb'', according to the Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
), with dry and mild summers and cold, snow
Snow comprises individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes.
It consists of frozen crystalline water throughout ...
y winters. Temperatures in the summer can go above a few times per year. On the other hand, temperatures can plummet to and can plummet in Bsharri mountain to on some occasions during the winter. Heavy snowfall is observed every year and accumulations of over and in Bsharri mountain are not unheard of.
Gallery
File:View of Kadisha Valley, Lebanon.jpg, Kadisha Valley
File:Kadicha valley (bsharri).jpg, alt=Kadicha valley, Kadisha valley
File:Cedar of Lebanon (Cedar of God), Lebanon.jpg, alt=Forest of The Cedars of God, Forest of the Cedars of God
File:Bsharri church and main square with a statue of angel, Bsharri, Lebanon.jpg, Cathedral square
File:Saint Saba Church Bsahrri.jpg
File:Daher all kadib in bsharri mountain during spring time.jpg, Dahr al-Kadib during spring time
File:Al-kumma-qornet-el-sawda-bsharri.jpg, The top of Qornet al-Sawda
File:Gibran Museum.JPG, alt=Gibran Museum, Gibran Museum
File:Cedars ski resort.jpg, Cedars Ski Resort
File:Bsharri, Lebanon, and Val d’Isère, France inked an agreement.jpg, Bsharri, Lebanon, and Val d’Isère
Val may refer to: Val-a
Film
* ''Val'' (film), an American documentary about Val Kilmer, directed by Leo Scott and Ting Poo
Military equipment
* Aichi D3A, a Japanese World War II dive bomber codenamed "Val" by the Allies
* AS Val, a Sov ...
, France inked an agreement
File:Cedars, Lebanon.jpg, Snow in Bsharri
File:Cedars international festival 2017.jpg, Cedars International festival, 2017
Notable residents
* Gibran Khalil Gibran, writer, poet and visual artist
* Antoine Choueiri
Antoine Choueiri (August 3, 1939 – March 9, 2010) was a Lebanese media executive. He was the founder of Choueiri Group, the Middle East's largest media broker.
Life
Choueiri was born in Beirut in 1939 to a Maronite Christian family from Bsha ...
(August 3, 1939 – March 9, 2010), a Lebanese media executive
See also
* Dimane
Dimane (or Diman, ) is a mountainous village in the Bsharri District, in the North Governorate of Lebanon. It sits at approximately 1400m above sea level, overlooking the Kadisha Valley.
The inhabitants of Dimane are Lebanese and are followers ...
References
External links
Lebanese Embassy (US) Section on Bsharri
World66
{{Authority control
Populated places in the North Governorate
Bsharri District
Maronite Christian communities in Lebanon