Baakleen, also spelled Baaqlîne or Baakline (), is a prominent
Druze
The Druze ( ; , ' or ', , '), who Endonym and exonym, call themselves al-Muwaḥḥidūn (), are an Arabs, Arab Eastern esotericism, esoteric Religious denomination, religious group from West Asia who adhere to the Druze faith, an Abrahamic ...
town located in the
Chouf District
Chouf (also spelled Shouf, Shuf or Chuf; ) is a historic region of Lebanon, as well as an administrative district in the governorate ( muhafazat) of Mount Lebanon.
Geography
Located south-east of Beirut, the region comprises a narrow coastal stri ...
of
Mount Lebanon
Mount Lebanon (, ; , ; ) is a mountain range in Lebanon. It is about long and averages above in elevation, with its peak at . The range provides a typical alpine climate year-round.
Mount Lebanon is well-known for its snow-covered mountains, ...
, about 45 kilometers southeast of
Beirut
Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...
, Lebanon. Situated at an elevation of 850 to 920 meters, it has a population of around 30,000 and covers an area of 14 square kilometers, with approximately 2,870 homes. The town is surrounded by several neighboring villages, including
Deir al-Qamar,
Beit ed-Dine
Beit ed-Dine (), also known as Btaddine () is a small town and the administrative capital of the Chouf District in the Mount Lebanon Governorate in Lebanon. The town is located 45 kilometers southeast of Beirut, and near the town of Deir el- ...
,
Ainbal, ,
Symkanieh, and
Jahlieh.
History
Founded in the 12th century by the
Maan emirs, Baakline served as their capital until the early 17th century when its most famous Emir
Fakhreddin II, moved to
Deir el Qamar. Today, Baakline is an important
Druze
The Druze ( ; , ' or ', , '), who Endonym and exonym, call themselves al-Muwaḥḥidūn (), are an Arabs, Arab Eastern esotericism, esoteric Religious denomination, religious group from West Asia who adhere to the Druze faith, an Abrahamic ...
city. The beautiful grand serail, the main administrative building of Baakline before
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, has been restored and transformed into a
public library
A public library is a library, most often a lending library, that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also Civil servic ...
. In the area of the Serail are some
Druze
The Druze ( ; , ' or ', , '), who Endonym and exonym, call themselves al-Muwaḥḥidūn (), are an Arabs, Arab Eastern esotericism, esoteric Religious denomination, religious group from West Asia who adhere to the Druze faith, an Abrahamic ...
religious buildings of the 18th and 19th centuries, including, ancient tombs and Ain Aldiaa water source.
The roots of Lebanon as we know it today go back to Baakline. Around the year 1120 A.D., Amir Maan Ibn Rabeaah, the great grandfather of Amir Fakher Eddine Al Maani the second who established “Lubnan Al Kabeer”, settled in Baakleen. He was supported by his in-laws, the Tanoukhyeen. Amir Maan was married to the daughter of Amir Noaaman Al Tanoukhy. Historians agree that Baakleen was the capital of the Maani Emirate.
Due to water shortages in Baakline, the Maani Amirs were attracted to Neighboring
Deir Al Kamar (according to Druze archives, called Dar Al Kamar), where they built many palaces and a
mosque that still stands in the middle of the town square carrying the name of Amir
Fakher Eddine Ibn Othman Ibn Al Hajj Younis Al Maani (1493 AD).
The last of the Maan family Amirs was Amir
Ahmad
Ahmad () is an Arabic male given name common in most parts of the Muslim world. Other English spellings of the name include Ahmed. It is also used as a surname.
Etymology
The word derives from the root ( ḥ-m-d), from the Arabic (), from ...
who died in 1697 A.D. and with his death, the rulers of the Emirate became the
Shihab family
The Shihab dynasty (alternatively spelled Chehab; , ALA-LC: ''al-Shihābiyūn'') is an Arab family whose members served as the paramount tax farmers and emirs of Mount Lebanon from the early 18th to mid-19th century, during Ottoman rule (1517– ...
who were tied to the Maan family through intermarriages and alliances.
Under the
Ottoman rule, Baakline came back to the forefront as one of the “Qasabat” or major towns. It served as the summer capital for the Druze “Qaem Makqam” or the local governor in the name of the
Ottoman Sultan
The sultans of the Ottoman Empire (), who were all members of the Ottoman dynasty (House of Osman), ruled over the Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental empire from its perceived inception in 1299 to Dissolution of the Ottoman Em ...
.
On 21 April 2020, nine people
were killed.
Demographics
In 2014,
Druze
The Druze ( ; , ' or ', , '), who Endonym and exonym, call themselves al-Muwaḥḥidūn (), are an Arabs, Arab Eastern esotericism, esoteric Religious denomination, religious group from West Asia who adhere to the Druze faith, an Abrahamic ...
made up 97.25% of registered voters in Baakleen.
Waterfalls and river
Blue waterfalls of Shallalat el Zarka
The blue waterfall is called Shallalat Al Zarka, by which the restaurant in this place holds the same name.
One can also see other magnificent waterfall and river in the village of Baakline.
References
External links
Baaqline Localiban
{{Authority control
Populated places in Chouf District
Druze communities in Lebanon