Kouachra ( ar, الكواشرة, also spelled as Kaweishra or Kavashra)
is a village in
Akkar Governorate,
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 lie ...
. It is located approximately north of
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 ...
and north of
Tripoli.
[
]
Location
Kouachra is located in Akkar District
Akkar District ( ar, قضاء عكار) is the only district in Akkar Governorate, Lebanon. It is coextensive with the governorate and covers an area of . The UNHCR estimated the population of the district to be 389,899 in 2015, including 106,93 ...
, near Al Qoubaiyat about an hour's drive from Tripoli. The village is situated on flat terrain at an altitude of above sea level.[ The village has a small artificial lake.
]
Population
Kouachra has a population of about 2,800 people, mostly of Sunni
Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a dis ...
Turkish origin.[ And most of its residents are farmers.]Future Movement
The Future Movement ( ar, تيار المستقبل) is a Lebanese political party affiliated with the Sunni sect. The party was founded as a coalition in 1995 led by Rafic Hariri but was officially founded in 2007. The party is led by Saad Har ...
political party.[
]
Turkish identity
Owing to its Turkish ethnic identity, the village was visited by the Prime Minister of Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula ...
, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in 2010 and has received Turkish developmental assistance and funding, including university scholarships in Turkey.[
According to one local resident: "After Ottoman rule ended in Lebanon, we decided to stay on our land. We still maintain our ]Turkish language
Turkish ( , ), also referred to as Turkish of Turkey (''Türkiye Türkçesi''), is the most widely spoken of the Turkic languages, with around 80 to 90 million speakers. It is the national language of Turkey and Northern Cyprus. Significant sma ...
and traditions."[
The village also houses several hundred ]Syrian Turkmen
Syrian Turkmen, also referred to as Syrian Turkomans, Turkish Syrians, or simply Syrian Turks or Turks of Syria, ( ar, تركمان سوريا; tr, Suriye Türkmenleri or ) are Syrian citizens of Turkish people, Turkish origin who mainly trace ...
who have fled the Syrian Civil War.
See also
* Turks in Lebanon
References
{{Akkar District
Populated places in Akkar District
Sunni Muslim communities in Lebanon