Toula ( ar, تولا) is a small village in
North Lebanon in
Zgharta District (or Quadaa). It is above sea level and is primarily a recreational village. Descendants of the original full-time residents of Toula do not reside in Toula during the winter months. Heavy snow fall typically makes Toula's mountainous roads inaccessible. However, Toula's original families occupied the village on a year-round basis. Settling families and early residents developed a climatic tolerance and adapted to Toula's harsh winter months.
Demographics
Toula has an estimated approximate population of 1,000. The last national census was conducted in 1932.
At the beginning of the 20th century, similar to other Lebanese towns and cities, these village residents emigrated to different locations around the world. Significant numbers have emigrated to
the United States of America
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
,
Australia,
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
,
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
and other countries. A distinctive percentage of current village residents have achieved secondary education and professional school levels.
ite pending Census reports indicated that a high proportion of these residents hold professional degrees in medicine, law, engineering and education. Additionally, numerous business entrepreneurs are village residents.
Economy
Toula's topography has earned the village a country-wide reputation for its productive fertile soil. Fertile soil and climatic conditions together, produce high quality agricultural products. Representative products are tomatoes, cucumbers, apples, pears, apricots, and grapes. Residents also produce an alcoholic beverage made from high grade varieties of grapes and anise. The alcoholic
distilled beverage
Arak is produced primarily for use by residents. The
aniseed
Anise (; '), also called aniseed or rarely anix is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to Eurasia.
The flavor and aroma of its seeds have similarities with some other spices and herbs, such as star anise, fennel, licorice, and t ...
-flavored Arak is the national, cultural drink of Lebanon.
Religion
The village population consists almost exclusively of Lebanese
Maronite Catholic
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 ...
s, who staunchly preserve their Maronite heritage founded under St. Charbel of Lebanon.
The patron saint of Toula is known as Saint Assia (مار أسيا) . Toulanians build a church in its honor in the middle of the village.
The village is popular for its
Saint Assia annual summer festival, held the last Sunday of September. The Saint Assia summer festival is celebrated with an outdoor party, where Arak, Lebanese cultural dancing, tolling the St. Assia Church bell and cultural cuisine, Hrissi, are a part of the festivities.
See also
*
Arbet Kozhaya
External links
Toula - Aslout Localiban
Toula Museum of Australia Inc.Toula BlogEhden Family Tree
{{Zgharta District
Zgharta District
Populated places in the North Governorate
Maronite Christian communities in Lebanon