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We
learn that our ancestors left Bekfaya
in 1652 and settled in Richta'mout
where they constructed houses and a
church, which still exists today. This
was during the period when the
Hamade's shiite, and in accordance
with them planted mulberry and
grapevines. The arragement between our
ancestors and the Hamades was broken
for some reason, which was followed by
sever persecution.
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The Metawli
ransacked the properties and cut down
the mulberry and grapevines. We
determine that for these reasons our
ancestors left Richta'mout, to the
other side of the valley to establish
a new town: Miziara.
But the persecutions continued until
the arrival of the "Mir Youssef
Chehab" children. The time was
right to take an active part that cost
two men their lives. The region was
now in the hands of the inhabitants of
Bcharre and Zgharta. The miziarians
were able, with what money they had
saved over the years, to buy the
terrtories belonging to the new
proprietors. The region had been
passed from the hands of the Hamades
to the Maronites.
Miziarians weren't fully content with
this achievement and waited for
another opportunity.
The opportunity presented itself when
"Youssef Bek Karam" rose up
against the Turks. In collaboration
with other patriots, they decided to
establish the New Lebanon and above
all, FREE. A big number of volunteers,
around 100, actively joined the
military operations of Youssef Karam.
This resulted in a high number of
deaths in the villages.
It was natural, through courage,
determination and the high number of
miziarians volunteers that a few
reaches positions of command, which
was the case of Sarkis Chidiac and
Elias el Khoury. At the time of the
1861 events, the number of miziarian
soldiers had reached the thirties,
integrated in the army that the hero
of Lebanon had organized to help the
persecuted Christians of the Chouf.
The Turks vowed to take revenge on
those villagers. Starting from 1914
and during the remainder of the First
World War, the Turkish troops did
everything to exterminate them. They
chopped down trees, imprisoned the
inhabitants and prohibited starved and
ill mountaineers access to Tripoli's
hospitals. Hundreds of villagers
disappeared, and they had only one
solution, "Leave Miziara for the
countries of Africa and Latin America.
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Major
Cities - Miziara
