Ras el-Matn or (Ras el-Metn) or (Ra's al-Matn) ( ar, رأس المتن) is a Lebanese town and municipality in the

Baabda District Baabda District ( ar, قضاء بعبدا, transliteration: ''Qada' Baabda''), sometimes spelled ''B'abda'', is a district (''qadaa'') of Mount Lebanon Governorate, Lebanon, to the south and east of the Lebanon's capital Beirut. The region is als ...

Mount Lebanon Governorate french: Gouvernorat du Mont-Liban , native_name_lang = , image_map = Administrative divisions of Lebanon 2017-08 (Numbered).png , map_caption = The governorates of Lebanon, including Mount Lebanon (in pink, label ...

stretching over 1300 hectares (13 km² - 5 mi²). The town has a population of nearly 11,000 inhabitants who are

Druze The Druze (; ar, دَرْزِيٌّ, ' or ', , ') are an Arabic-speaking esoteric ethnoreligious group from Western Asia who adhere to the Druze faith, an Abrahamic, monotheistic, syncretic, and ethnic religion based on the teachings of ...

and

Eastern Orthodox Christians Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism. Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or "canonical") ...

Etymology

The name literally translates "top" (''ras'') of "the mountain" (''el-matn''). It describes the town's location as being perched on top of the shoulder of

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 ...

. It is well known for the abundance of pine trees there.

Location

Ras el-Matn is a town 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 ...

located on the western steep slopes of

, in the upper Matn (al-Matn al-A'la) section at varying elevation between 800 and 1000 m above sea level. It's known for its panoramic views and pine trees and its location giving a view to the western sections of el-Matn and the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...

. From its heights one can look out across the valley to the towns of Dhour Chweir,

Baabdat Baabdat ( ar, بعبدات) is a town located in the Matn District of Mount Lebanon, 22 km from Beirut at an altitude ranging between 600 and 1100 meters above sea level. The lush pine forests that surround the town make it a very popular su ...

Broumana Brummana ( ar, برمانا) is a town in the Matn District of the Mount Lebanon Governorate in Lebanon. It is located east of Beirut, overlooking the capital and the Mediterranean. Brummana has long been a summer destination for visitors and loca ...

and

Beit Mery Beit Mery ( ar, بيت مري ; also Beit Mer, Beir Meri) is a Lebanese town overlooking the capital Beirut. The town has been a summer mountain resort since the times of the Phoenicians and later the Romans. The name derives from Aramaic and me ...

The town is 29 kilometers (18.0206 mi) away from the Lebanese capital city

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 ...

. All roads leading to the town traverse unspoiled landscape of pine-clad hills and rivers, such as the Jaramani river along the Monteverdi road. There are several possible routes to Ras el Matn: * Beirut - Mkalles - Mansouriyeh - Monteverdi - Qortada - Ras el-Matn * Beirut - Joumhour - Araya - Abadieh - Rouweiset Ballout - Mzaira - Deir Khona - Ras el-Matn * Beirut - Aley - Bhamdoun - Baalishmeih - Chbeniyeh - Hamana - Deir el-Harf - Ras el-Matn

Population

The town has a population of nearly 10,000 inhabitants who are

and

. This villages is notable for its sense of civic pride. Baabda - Louayzeh counted 4846 residents (estimation). In the municipal Lebanese elections of 2004, it accounted 7149 registered voters of which 4279 actual voters. Ras el-Matn has two schools, one public school and one private school. 391 students are schooled in the public institution, and 68 are schooled in the private one.

Heritage

Ras el-Matn is the birthplace of Lebanese writer

Anis Freiha Anis Freiha was a Lebanese author who has written extensively about Lebanese traditional village life. Life He was born in the town of Ras el Matn, Mount Lebanon, and studied at the American University of Beirut AUB, and at the University of Ch ...

and the scholar ‘Ajaj Nuwayhid. Ras el-Matn is home to many great athletes, and the schools participate in Basketball and Football leagues. The most notable building inside the town is the historical Serail of the Lam'iyin princess built in 1775. The huge building later served as a high school. Although damaged and abandoned during the war, one can still appreciate the serail's elegant courtyard and bell tower. Restoration work is planned for the near future. A natural water spring known as Nabaa Ein el Marj is located found in the lower part of the village. Remarkable for its arched

façade A façade () (also written facade) is generally the front part or exterior of a building. It is a Loanword, loan word from the French language, French (), which means 'frontage' or 'face'. In architecture, the façade of a building is often t ...

built in 1472, the plaque recording its construction is still in place. Much older, are the ancient tombs carved into the rocky cliffs and headlands of Ras el-Metn, while just below the village the refuge of a holy woman, Sitt Sarah can be found in a rock- scattered field. According to the legend, a rock miraculously opened into a cave to shelter Sitt Sarah as she fled from danger. Finally carved from living stone, the site is an ancient tomb chamber. Many

grottos A grotto is a natural or artificial cave used by humans in both modern times and antiquity, and historically or prehistorically. Naturally occurring grottoes are often small caves near water that are usually flooded or often flooded at high ti ...

are located in the steep pine-clad slopes above the town, giving visitors and hikers superb views westwards. Hikers should also ask about the Grotto of Hiskan, which is about a two hours walk from the village. The town is a major source of pine nuts due to stone pine (''Pinus pinea'') woods covering the area. The umbrella pines that surround the village are a source of pine nuts, while olives, grapes, figs, apricots and other fruits are cultivated here as well. Ras el-Matn is approximately 45 minutes away from

and is part of

Greater Beirut Greater Beirut ( ar, بيروت الكبرى; french: Grand Beyrouth) is the urban agglomeration comprising the city of Beirut ( Beirut Governorate) and the adjacent municipalities over the Mount Lebanon Governorate. It does not constitute a sin ...

making it a famous touristic place due to its relatively close distance to the airport and Capital.

Awards

In September 2004, the Director-General of

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

awarded the 2002-2003 UNESCO's Cities for Peace Prize to 10 municipalities which became Laureate Cities, among which is Ras El Metn. The UNESCO's Cities for Peace Prize recognizes municipalities that are strengthening social cohesion, improving living conditions in disadvantaged neighbourhoods and developing genuine urban harmony and diversity.

External links