Khazen (also El-Khazen, Al-Khazen, Khazin or De Khazen, ar, آل الخازن, is a prominent

Levant The Levant () is an approximation, approximate historical geography, 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 an ...

ine family and clan based in

Keserwan District Keserwan District ( ar, قضاء كسروان, transliteration: ''Qaḍā' Kisrawān'') is a district (''qadaa'') in Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate, Lebanon, to the northeast of Lebanon's capital Beirut. The capital, Jounieh, is overwhelmingly Maron ...

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 Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...

, Damascus, Syria, Nablus, Palestine, as well as other districts around the

, predominantly in the

Galilee Galilee (; he, הַגָּלִיל, hagGālīl; ar, الجليل, al-jalīl) is a region located in northern Israel and southern Lebanon. Galilee traditionally refers to the mountainous part, divided into Upper Galilee (, ; , ) and Lower Gali ...

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

. The family were very influential within the

Maronite Church The Maronite Church is an 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. The current head of the Mar ...

. Several members have played leading roles in

politics Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that stud ...

for many generations.

King Louis XIV , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Vers ...

elevated the family to the

French nobility The French nobility (french: la noblesse française) was a privileged social class in France from the Middle Ages until its abolition on June 23, 1790 during the French Revolution. From 1808 to 1815 during the First Empire the Emperor Napol ...

and referred to them as "princes of the

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 larg ...

" in many letters.

Pope Clement X Pope Clement X ( la, Clemens X; it, Clemente X; 13 July 1590 – 22 July 1676), born Emilio Bonaventura Altieri, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 29 April 1670 to his death in July 1676. Elected pope at ag ...

made them

Counts Palatine A count palatine (Latin ''comes palatinus''), also count of the palace or palsgrave (from German language, German ''Pfalzgraf''), was originally an official attached to a royal or imperial palace or household and later a nobleman of a rank abo ...

. Most of the Lebanese Khazen branch is Maronite, while some other branches are Greek Orthodox and Muslim but are not related to the Mount-Lebanese, which were endowed with these honors.

History

The Khazen Cheikhs can trace back their lineage to the 9th century to the Ghassanids, when they were mainly located between

Houran The Hauran ( ar, حَوْرَان, ''Ḥawrān''; also spelled ''Hawran'' or ''Houran'') is a region that spans parts of southern Syria and northern Jordan. It is bound in the north by the Ghouta oasis, eastwards by the al-Safa field, to the so ...

, Damascus, Baalbeck, and Nablus. They started buying and acquiring lands in

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 ...

during the 15th century and, more specifically, first in Jaj (currently in Byblos District). They continued their exodus to the Keserwan district, where they bought lands from the

Shi'a Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, most ...

tribes. This caused the Shi'a to move towards what is known today as the South of Lebanon and the Maronites to the Keserwan district. In 1584, the Khazen were able to hide the princes Fakhreddine and Younès in Ballouneh. At that time, their father, cornered by the Ottoman's army and losing the fight against them, informed his wife Sitt Nossab to send his sons to the Khazen, a powerful and influential family at that time. The great Fakhreddine, when he took power, was greatly influenced by the Khazen family politically and religiously. In return, he granted them the title of '' Cheikh'' and complete political influence and control of

. Similarly, the Khazen also gave shelter to Prince Haidar

Shehab The Shihab dynasty (alternatively spelled Chehab; ar, الشهابيون, ALA-LC: ''al-Shihābiyūn'') was an Arab family whose members served as the paramount tax farmers and local chiefs of Mount Lebanon from the early 18th to mid-19th centu ...

's sons, in Keserwan in the early 18th century. The Khazen families, who were now controlling the Keserwan district, were very influential within the

. This is due to their financial support of the Church and their assistance in its expansion by the construction of many monasteries, several of which they still own today, as well as their connections to the French. They also offered lands and, most importantly, supplied security to the Church and the Maronite community overall. In 1656, Cheikh Abou Nawfal received a Papal decoration for his help in the expansion of the Maronite faith in Mount Lebanon. The family was consulted on each patriarchal election and controlled episcopal nominations for three Maronite archbishoprics—representing the districts of Aleppo, Baalbeck, and Damascus—until the 19th century. There were three important and influential patriarchs from the Khazen family: Youssef Dargham (1733–1742), Toubia (1756–1766) and Youssef Ragi (1845–1854). Several bishops have also shared the name, includin
Michel
(Caesarea, 1767-1786)

(Nablus, 1787-1819)

(Damascus, 1794-1806)

(Damascus, 1806-1830)

(Baalbeck, 1807-1858)

(Damascus, 1848-1868)

(Ptolemais, 1919-1933), an

(Rusadus, 2014-current). In 1858, Tanios Chahine started a

rebellion Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority. A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...

against the Khazen family, which caused a great loss to their dominance over Kerserwan. The rebellion was a result of a power struggle between the Abi Lamaa family, the English, the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

, the

Ottomans The Ottoman Turks ( tr, Osmanlı Türkleri), were the Turkic founding and sociopolitically the most dominant ethnic group of the Ottoman Empire ( 1299/1302–1922). Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks remains scarce, ...

, and particular Khazen who wanted to increase their influence. After these events, the Khazen stayed involved in politics, yet their work as one family holding ultimate Maronite power has diminished greatly. The Khazen crest which includes a snowy part of the mountain and cedar trees, reflects the family's special closeness to the country, and especially to Mount Lebanon. There are multiple branches of the family. The 2 main branches are based in Ajaltoun, which mainly traces its origins from Nawfal Abou Nassif el-Khazen (son of Nader Abou Nawfal el-Khazen), and Ghosta, which mainly traces its origins from Fayad Abou Kanso el-Khazen (son of Nader Abou Nawfal; also, consul of France). Kfardebian, which is nearby, also has a sizable branch as well as Achqout and Jounieh.

Today

In modern times, Khazen have always represented Keserwan with at least one MP in the

Lebanese Parliament The Lebanese Parliament ( ar, مجلس النواب, translit=Majlis an-Nuwwab; french: Chambre des députés) is the national parliament of the Republic of Lebanon. There are 128 members elected to a four-year term in multi-member constit ...

. They have also been represented in many recent governments. Prominent politicians include Cheikh Philippe El Khazen, a prominent doctor and medical professor born in 1921 in Ghosta. Cheikh Philippe El Khazen was a member of the Parliament in 1968-1972 and a Co-Founder and Vice President of the Maronite League. He was also a member of the European Christian Democratic Party. Cheikh Antanios Elias El Khazen from Ballouneh, owner of Kstars Cosmetics international cosmetics brand, was born in 1959. Cheikh Elias Choukrallah El Khazen, minister and deputy born in 1927 from Ajaltoun, was a member of Parliament in 1964, 1972, 1992, 1996 and Minister of Interior from 1989 - 1990. Cheikh Elias Choukrallah El Khazen as a deputy signed the Taef agreement to end the Lebanese civil war and to return to political normalcy in Lebanon. Cheikh Wadih El Khazen, minister of Tourism, Feb 2005, and president of The Central Maronite Council since January 2006. Walid el-Khazen, former ambassador from the

Sovereign Military Order of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta ( it, Sovrano Militare Ordine Ospedaliero di San Giovanni di Gerusalemme, di Rodi e di Malta; ...

Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Ri ...

Amine el-Khazen Amine Khazen (also Amine el-Khazen; born 6 December 1941, in Ajaltoun, Lebanon) is a Lebanese diplomat and a member of the noble Khazen family. Education Amine primarily studied at Saint Joseph University, in Beirut. He is fluent in Arabic, F ...

, former Lebanese ambassador to the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmonizi ...

, Farid Haykal el-Khazen, former Tourism Minister, and

Farid Elias el-Khazen Farid Elias Khazen (also Farid Elias el-Khazen ar, فريد إلياس الخازن) is a Lebanese politician and professor of political science at the American University of Beirut. Member of Lebanese Parliament and Ambassador since 2018. Educati ...

, professor and past Chairman of Political Studies at the American University of Beirut and current MP. Noteworthy businessmen include Fady el-Khazen, former director for the Ministry of Agriculture and owner of French restaurant ''La Creperie'', Chafic el-Khazen, the CEO of Sky Management, Fouad el-Khazen, honorary chairman of the BIT bank, an
Ghassan El Khazen
owner o
Edarat Group
an
De Khazen
Abraham Kazen, a relative of the family, represented

Texas's 23rd congressional district Texas's 23rd congressional district stretches across the southwestern portion of Texas. It is a majority Hispanic district and has been represented by Republican Tony Gonzales since 2021. Election results from statewide races The 23rd distr ...

in the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washi ...

from 1967 to 1985.

Properties

* The Rose House in Beirut (formerly)Rose House opening to the public
''Beirut Report''. Published: 14 November 2014.
Saint Simeon Stylites Church in Ajaltoun
* Saint Elias church in Ghosta built by Cheikh Wadih El Khazen in 1987.
Mar Abda Church in Bakaatit Kanaan

Assumption of Mary Church in Ballouneh

Saint Anthony of Padua Church in Ballouneh

Saint Elias Monastery in Ballouneh

Saint Michael Church in Bkaatouta

Saint Therese Church in Qolayaat

Mar Lichaa Church in Saki-Rechmayya (Byblos)

Saint Edna Church in Saki-Rechmayya (Byblos)

Virgin Mary Church in Sheilé

References

* Antoine Khoury Harb,
The Maronites: History and Constants
' (

ASIN Asin Thottumkal (born 26 October 1985), known mononymously as Asin, is a former Indian actress who appeared predominantly in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu films. She is a trained Bharatanatyam dancer. She has received three Filmfare Awards. She b ...

B000B0F6NU) * Matti Moosa,
The Maronites in History
' () * Richard Van Leeuwen,
Notables and Clergy in Mount Lebanon: The Khāzin Sheikhs and the Maronite Church (1736-1840)
' () * Farid el-Khazen,
The Breakdown of the State in Lebanon, 1967-1976
' () * William Harris,
Lebanon: A History, 600-2011
' () *
Catholic-Hierarchy
' * '' The Daily Star'' (Lebanon)
The sword of the Maronite Prince

Origins of the "Prince of Maronite" Title

National Geographic Magazine DNA sample from Khazen member

An Interview with Cheikh Malek el-Khazen

Citations

{{reflist, 45em

External links