Shaqra, Lebanon

Shaqra (also spelt Chaqra, Chakra or even Chacra in French spellings; ar, شقرا []), officially Chaqra and Doubay ( ar, شقرا ودوبيه ''Shaqra wa Dubay''), is a local authority in southern Lebanon, 116 km from Beirut; located in the Bint Jbeil District. It consists of two parts: the village ''Chaqra''; while ''Doubay'' (or ''Qal'at ad-Dubba''), located about 4 km west of the village, is a castle dating at least to the Crusader era. Shaqra's inhabitants are called the Shaqrawis (French spelling: Chaqraouis).

Geography

The town is bounded to the northeast by Houla, to the east by Meiss Ej Jabal, to the southeast by Muhajbib, to the north by Majdel Selem, to the west by Safad-El-Batikh and Baraachit. It is located 6.8 km from the Golan Heights and the southern border of Lebanon.

Transport

To get there, you have to take the national 3 which goes from Beirut to Tyre, then the road to Bint-Jbeil.

Demography

There are 6,000 inhabitants in winter and more than double in summer, due to the fact that 20 million Lebanese living abroad come to visit their villages of origin.

Naming

*''Shaqra'': means ''blonde''.

*''Kulat ed Dubbeh'': means ''"The bear's castle"''.

History

Chaqra

In 1596, it was named as a village, ''Saqra'', in the Ottoman '' nahiya'' (subdistrict) of Tibnin under the Liwa Safad. It had a population of 58 households and 3 bachelors, all Muslim. The villagers paid a fixed tax rate of 25% on agricultural products, such as wheat (6,760 akçe), barley (560 akçe), olive trees (1,500 akçe), goats and beehives (520 akçe), in addition to occasional revenues (300 akçe); an olive oil press/press for grape syrup (12 akçe), a water mill (60 akçe); a total of 9,712 akçe.Hütteroth and Abdulfattah, 1977, p. 179

In 1875 Victor Guérin noted: "This village is located on a plateau growing with wheat, or dotted with olive trees. It has 300 inhabitants, all Métu'alis. The mosque, facing from west to east, seems to have replaced an old
church, from which it borrowed a number of beautiful ashlars []. Two (artificial) pools, now very poorly maintained, and a dozen cisterns also attest to the existence in this place of a village prior to the Arab invasion".

In 1877, H.H. Kitchener visited the area. After describing the castle, he continues: "To the west of the castle is the village of ''Shakra'', where I obtained a copy of an inscription. The sheikh of the village was extremely rude, and threw stones against the inscription when I attempted to copy it. I therefore left without doing so, and reported the matter to the governor, who immediately put the sheikh in prison. The next time I went to the village there was no opposition to my copying the inscription, I therefore had the sheikh set at liberty."

In 1881, the PEF's '' Survey of Western Palestine'' described the village (which it called ''Shakra'') as being "built of stone, containing about 200 ''Metawileh'', on high-level plain, surrounded by olives and arable land; there is a mosque in the village; two ''birkets'' and several cisterns give the water supply." They further added that there were: "Several ruined modern buildings and remains of ancient ruins; several lintels and cisterns; Greek inscription on capital of column built into wall of modern house to the south-west of the mosque: There probably once stood an early Christian church here."Conder and Kitchener, 1881, p
138
/ref>

Doubay or Qal'at ad-Dubba

The castle of Chaqra and Doubiye, also called ''Qalaat Doubal'', ''Kulat ed Dubbeh'', and ''Qal'at Ad-Dubba'', is located in a valley about 4 km East of Chaqra.

According to Pringle, "Although largely rebuilt in Mamluk or Ottoman times, it incorporates a tower (8.5 by 10,3 m) and other structures which betray a Frankish origin,"Pringle, 1998, p
161
/ref>

In 1875 Victor Guérin noted "the remains of a small fortress of Muslim work and called ''Kala't Doubey''. Surrounded by a moat now half filled and planted with tobacco, it was built with fairly coarsely carved blocks. Several of the square towers that flank it are still inhabited at this time by some families of Métualis, who settled in the middle of its ruins and contain their herds.Guérin, 1880, p
382
"A midi quatre minutes, je parviens sur une plate-forme rocheuse longue et étroite, qui se rattache vers le sud à des hauteurs voisines, mais qui s'avance vers le nord comme une sorte de promontoire au-dessus du confluent de deux ''oued'', l'Oued es-Selouki à l'ouest et l'Oued el-Djemal à l'est. Sur cette plate-forme je remarque une piscine et plusieurs citernes pratiquées dans le roc et, à l'extrémité septentrionale de cette espèce de promontoire, les restes d'une petite forteresse de fabrique musulmane et appelée ''Kala't Doubey.'' Entourée d'un fossé aujourd'hui à moitié comblé et planté de tabac, elle a été bâtie avec des blocs assez grossièrement taillés. Plusieurs des tours carrées qui la flanquent sont encore habitées en ce moment par quelques familles de Métualis, qui se sont installées au milieu de ses ruines et y renferment leurs troupeaux."

In 1881, the PEF's ''Survey of Western Palestine'' described the castle (which it called ''Kulat ed Dubbeh''):

Economy

The village lives on small trade, agriculture and a strong poultry economy.

Administration

The village is administered by a mayor assisted by municipal councillors.

Chaqra is divided into two parts:

* Chaqra as such which is the upper part and which is inhabited;
* Doubiye, which is located in the valley, uninhabited and housing Doubiye Castle, which was built on the ruins of a Roman-era building, and said to be renamed after a French Crusade commander.

References

Bibliography

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External links

* Official site archive
/small> in arabic
Chaqra - Doubay
localiban
*Survey of Western Palestine, Map 2:
IAAWikimedia commons
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Populated places in the Israeli security zone 1985–2000
Populated places in Bint Jbeil District
Shia Muslim communities in Lebanon
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chaqra-Doubay