This lovely mountain resort town is perched above the eastern end of
the beautiful Kadisha Gorge and at the foothills of the Cedars of Lebanon.
It is the brith place of Lebanon's most famous author
Khalil Gibran. It has a small museum which pays tribute to him.
Beiteddine palace was built over a period of thirty years by Emir Bechir Chehab II.
It's architecture reflects the typical oriental architecture of the 19th century Ottoman Era.
It is remarkable for its glamorous
arcades, multicolored mosaic floors, reception rooms, harems, hammams
and even by its guest house "Diyafa" where passing guests were lodged
(French poet Lamartine stayed once there).
Detail of the Sarcophagus of Ahiram, king of Byblos, seated
on a cherub throne, before an offering table, 13th century B.C (National Museum of Beirut).
Around 1200 B.C. the scribes of Byblos developed an alphabetic phonetic script, the precursor of our modern
alphabet. By 800 B.C., it had traveled to Greece, changing forever the way man communicated.
Located in the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon, Baalbek is an ancient city
that has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Originally
Canaanite (3rd century BC), the Assyrians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines,
and Arabs successively occupied Ba'albek and left their imprints on the
place, often modifying what existed previously.
www.kaftoun.com
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Kaftoun is a small Lebanese village located along the north bank of the Nahr el Jaouz (Walnut River), in the District of Koura, North Lebanon. The houses of Kaftoun number seventy, and its inhabitants number about three hundred. They are mostly Greek Orthodox Christians, who are peaceful, respectful of others, and generally well educated. The name "Kaftoun" in the ancient Aramaic language means "dug from" or "sculpted from" a cliff. In the ancient Syriac language (Kftuna) it means "the domed". Both roots of the word lead us to believe that the village was named after the domed Theotokos Monastery which is carved in the red rock cliffs by the banks of the Jaouz River.
Kaftoun and its surroundings are steeped in history. This can be evidenced from the names of some of its families: Kanaan (canaan), after the Canaanites who dwelt in the region during the earlier Bronze Age (3000-1200 H.C.) and from which the Phoenicians of the Iron Age (first millennium B.C.) descended. Semaan (Samaan), after Saint-Simon (Sam'an), a shepherd from northern Syria, who became a monk after a revelation in a dream, and who lived on top of a pillar for forty-two years. He died in the year 459 A.D. The historic Maronite Church in the neighboring village of Boukssmayya, just across the Jaouz River from Kaftoun, is dedicated to his memory.
The Sarkis Family, takes its name from Saint Sergius (Mar Sarkis). Sergius an officer in the Roman army and Bacchus, an officer under him, were both friends of Emperor Maximian (284-305). They were scourged to death when they refused his orders to offer sacrifice to the pagan god Jupiter. For nearly a thousand years they were the official patrons of the Byzantine armies. Many Eastern Christians still continue to revere them as their special patron saints. Their feast day is October 7th. The old Mar Sarkis Church by the banks of the Jaouz River, which is presently being excavated, was erected in their honor (600-700 A.D.).
Beautiful Scenery
Kaftoun is located on top of a small hill, 360 meters (1184 ft) height, sandwiched between the rivers of Asfour (Bird) from the north and el Jaouz from the south. It is bordered by Jabel El Majdel (Majdel Mountain) from the east and the hills of Btaaboura from the west. It is surrounded by groves of olive trees and many fruiting trees such as figs, almonds and grape vines. Kaftoun, was originally located on a higher hill south-west of the current location. Towards the middle of the eighteenth century, inhabitants for some unknown reason, started to gradually build their new houses in the valley below, in the direction of the current location and upwards to the current location and beyond. Two possible reasons for this migration might have been:
- To be closer to the el Jaouz River, their main source of water, or
- To be nearer to the fields of the Theotokos Monastery, where they labored in tilling and cultivating the land.
The only remaing building on the old hill is the Church of Sait Foka [Greek name Phokas], patron Saint of Kaftoun. Sait Foka was an early saint and martyr from Asia Minor who was sentenced to death for being a Christian.
Caves, Catacombs and Roman Bridges
Caves:In Kaftoun, by the banks of the el Jaouz River (Walnut River) you will find many caves that dot the area. These were used as dwellings by Early Man and several of them, until recently, were still being used by shepherds to shelter their herds. Regretfully, one important cave, known as the Hanania cave, was recently destroyed, in 1970, by the new road constructed to provide vehicle access to the Greek Orthodox Theotokos Monastery. Hanania is a Hebrew word that means "God has been gracious". It is understood that a saintly monk named Hanania, dedicated his life to live in this cave. He was handed water and food by passers by.
Catacombs:
If you are of the adventurous type, you might consider climbing to the top of the El Majdel Mountain and look for catacombs. You might find two that are carefully hidden from prying eyes. If you do, please treat the site as you would any historical site. Please preserve our heritage for future generations. Roman and Arab Bridges:
There are several pedestrian bridges across the el Jaouz river still standing from Roman and Arab times such as the one in the picture below by the entrence to the Kaftoun Theotokos Monastery.
