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The
Bride of the Beqaa
A
red-roofed town set among the
eastern foothills of Mount Sannine,
Zahle enjoys a prime location in the
Beqaa valley. Snowcapped mountains
tower above it in winter, while in
summer its 945-meter elevation keeps
the air light and dry.
The city center spreads along both
banks of the Bardouni River, with
the older section of town on the
upper elevations of the west bank
and the shopping district on the
east bank.
At the northern end of town is the
Bardouni river valley known as Wadi
el-Aarayesh (Grape Vine Valley) –
the site of Zahle's famous outdoor
restaurants. Zahle styles itself "The
City of Wine and Poetry",
and with good reason. In this
century alone some 50 poets and
writers were
born here Zahle is also an
agricultural
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town which
produces
vegetables, fruit, grains and most
importantly, grapes. Tucked away
from Lebanon's busy coastal
centers, the people of Zahle
have developed their own brand of
individualism and way of doing things
Even their spoken Arabic has a
particular flair. The city's
reputation for intellectual vigor
comes from a long line of writers,
thinkers and poets who have
contributed to Lebanon's cultural
and political scene.
Zahle
in History
Zahle was
founded about 300 years ago in an
area whose past reaches back some
five millennia. In the early 18th
century the new town was divided
into three separate quarters, each
of which had its own governor.
The city enjoyed a brief period as
the region's first independent state
in the 19th century when it had its
own flag and anthem.
Zahle was burned in 1777 and 1791,
and it was burned and plundered in
1860.
But during the rule of the
Mutasarrifiah, Zahle began to regain
its prosperity. The railroad line
which came through in 1885 improved
commerce and the town became the
internal "port" of the
Beqaa and Syria. It was also the
center of agriculture and trade
between Beirut and Damascus, Mosul
and Baghdad. Considered the
birthplace of the Lebanese army,
Zahle has played a major role in the
political life of the country.
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Major Cities - Zahle
