Baskinta () is a Lebanese village situated at an altitude ranging from 1250 metres above sea level and climbs up to approximately 1800 meters of height at Qanat Bakish, making it one of the highest villages of

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

. It is located 43 kilometers north east 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 ...

. Baskinta is known for its natural environment and moderate climate. Baskinta is becoming a cycling spot for

mountain biking Mountain biking (MTB) is a sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, usually using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes but incorporate features designed to enhance durability ...

amateurs with some off-road trails and a developed cycling community. It was also the capital city of the Syriac Christian state of Marada. Baskinta is also known for the variety of its fruit especially apples and vineyards. The residents are

Christians A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words '' Christ'' and ''C ...

: 70%

Maronites Maronites (; ) are a Syriac Christian ethnoreligious group native to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant (particularly Lebanon) whose members belong to the Maronite Church. The largest concentration has traditionally resided near Mount ...

and 30%

Greek Orthodox Greek Orthodox Church (, , ) is a term that can refer to any one of three classes of Christian Churches, each associated in some way with Greek Christianity, Levantine Arabic-speaking Christians or more broadly the rite used in the Eastern Rom ...

. There are 15,000 residents in Baskinta and 3 schools: the Saint Pierre College Brothers, the Official High School of Baskinta and the Saint Vincent School.

History

Baskinta and the surrounding areas contain the ruins of monuments, cemeteries, and pottery remains dating back to

Phoenicia Phoenicians were an Ancient Semitic-speaking peoples, ancient Semitic group of people who lived in the Phoenician city-states along a coastal strip in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily modern Lebanon and the Syria, Syrian ...

and

Ancient Greece Ancient Greece () was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity (), that comprised a loose collection of culturally and linguistically r ...

. The Greeks built several palaces there, of which enormous stones, pillars, and underground passages still exist. The temple in the place known as Qanat Bakish was originally dedicated to

Bacchus In ancient Greek religion and myth, Dionysus (; ) is the god of wine-making, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, festivity, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theatre. He was also known as Bacchus ( or ; ) by the Gre ...

, the Greek god of merriment and wine. The Faqra temple ruins dedicated to

Adonis In Greek mythology, Adonis (; ) was the mortal lover of the goddesses Aphrodite and Persephone. He was considered to be the ideal of male beauty in classical antiquity. The myth goes that Adonis was gored by a wild boar during a hunting trip ...

and

Atargatis Atargatis (known as Derceto by the Greeks) was the chief goddess of northern Syria in Classical antiquity. Primarily she was a fertility goddess, but, as the ''baalat'' ("mistress") of her city and people she was also responsible for their prot ...

are also found 11 kilometers north of Baskinta near

Mzaar Kfardebian Mzaar Kfardebian ( — formerly ''Faraya Mzaar'') is a ski area in Lebanon and the largest ski resort in the Middle East. It is located one hour away from Beirut, the capital of Lebanon. It is also referred to as Ouyoune el Simane. History In 1 ...

, the largest ski resort in the Middle East. Gold coins and jewels that belonged to

Empress Helena Flavia Julia Helena (; , ''Helénē''; – 330), also known as Helena of Constantinople and in Christianity as Saint Helena, was an ''List of Augustae, Augusta'' of the Roman Empire and mother of Emperor Constantine the Great. She was b ...

(Saint Helen of Constantinople, (c. 250 – c. 330), mother of

Constantine the Great Constantine I (27 February 27222 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was a Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337 and the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. He played a Constantine the Great and Christianity, pivotal ro ...

), have been found in the area. The Cross of All Nations was built in Baskinta to commemorate Saint Helen's pilgrimage. Baskinta is also the native village of

Mikhail Naimy Mikha'il Nu'ayma (, ; US legal name: Michael Joseph Naimy), better known in English by his pen name Mikhail Naimy (October 17, 1889 – February 28, 1988), was a Lebanese poet, novelist, and philosopher, famous for his spiritual writings, notabl ...

, one of Lebanon's greatest thinkers and literary figures known for his spiritual writings, notably “

The Book of Mirdad ''The Book of Mirdad'' is an allegorical book of philosophy by Lebanese author Mikha'il Na'ima. The book was first published in Lebanon in 1948 and was initially written in English, with Na'ima later translating it into Arabic. Na'ima initially ...

”. A poet, novelist and philosopher, Naimy co-founded, along with

Khalil Gibran Gibran Khalil Gibran (January 6, 1883 – April 10, 1931), usually referred to in English as Kahlil Gibran, was a Lebanese-American writer, poet and visual artist; he was also considered a philosopher, although he himself rejected the title. ...

and others, the New York literary society known as the

Pen League The Mahjar (, one of its more literal meanings being "the Arabs, Arab diaspora") was a movement related to neo-romanticism, Romanticism migrant literature, migrant literary literary movement, movement started by Arabic-speaking writers who had emig ...

. He personified Baskinta's natural scenarios in most of his writings. It was here in a hut surrounded by extraordinary rock formations that Naimeh drafted much of his monumental work. The family home of award-winning novelist and journalist

Amin Maalouf Amin Maalouf (; ; born 25 February 1949) is a Lebanese people in France, Lebanese-born French"A ...

Ain el Qabou Ain (, ; ) is a departments of France, French department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Eastern France. Named after the Ain (river), Ain river, it is bordered by the Saône and Rhône rivers. Ain is located on the country's eastern edge ...

is near Baskinta, where his novel " The Rock of Tanios" is also set. Th
Baskinta Literary Trail
a 24-kilometer hiking path, offers hikers a chance to discover 22 literary landmarks related to several acclaimed Lebanese literary figures from the area.

Location

In addition to its ruins, there are hotels, and chalets sought by skiers. Baskinta lies ahead of

, and at the foot of

Mount Sannine Mount Sannine ( / ALA-LC: ''Jabal Șannīn'') is a mountain in the Mount Lebanon range. Its highest point is 2,628 m (8,622 feet) above sea level in Lebanon. Mount Sannine, which has a base of limestone, is the source of many mountain springs. T ...

. The name Baskinta means "the abode, the residence, and the place" according to the Syriac Etymology. This traditional summer resort has views of the surrounding mountains. From Beirut head north toward Antelias, about a 12 km drive before you turn east to drive uphill towards

Bikfaya Bikfaya (, also spelled Bickfaya, Beckfayya, or Bekfaya) is a town in the Matn District region of Mount Lebanon. Its stone houses with red-tiled roofs resting amidst pine and oak forests make Bikfaya one of the most sought-after suburbs of Beirut a ...

, passing through

Bteghrine Bteghrine (, also spelled Bteghrin and Btighrin) is a municipality in the Matn District of the Mount Lebanon Governorate of Lebanon. Etymology The exact origin of the town name ''Bteghrine'' is unknown, but possibilities include ''Place of Warr ...

towards Baskinta. From Baskinta it is possible to climb to the 2,628-meter summit of Mount Sannine, starting off at Nabaa Sannine, a village 7 km up the mountain.

Climate

Baskinta has a

Hot-summer mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

(Csa).

Demographics

In 2014,

made up 98.98% of registered voters in Baskinta. 65.45% of the voters were

Maronite Catholics The Maronite Church (; ) is an Eastern Catholic ''sui iuris'' particular church in full communion with the pope and the worldwide Catholic Church, with self-governance under the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches. The head of the Maronite ...

, 27.08% were

and 3.95% were

Greek Catholics Greek Catholic Church or Byzantine-Catholic Church may refer to: * The Catholic Church in Greece * The Eastern Catholic Churches that use the Byzantine Rite, also known as the Greek Rite: ** The Albanian Greek Catholic Church ** The Belarusian Gre ...

.https://lub-anan.com/المحافظات/جبل-لبنان/المتن-الشمالي/بسكنتا/المذاهب/

Notable people

- writer and novelist. *

Amin Maalouf Amin Maalouf (; ; born 25 February 1949) is a Lebanese people in France, Lebanese-born French"A ...

- award-winning novelist. *

Georges Hobeika Georges Hobeika is a Lebanese multinational luxury fashion house founded by Lebanese fashion designer of Couture and Ready-to-Wear clothing, Georges Hobeika. Hobeika officially opened his atelier in Beirut, Lebanon in 1995, and has been presenti ...

- Haute couture fashion designer. * Bethany Kehdy- culinary expert and cookbook author.

References

External links

Baskinta
, Localiban
Baskinta Online
Baskinta Online
Baskinta

Lebanese Folklore
(Spanish Web-page) {{Matn District Populated places in Matn District Christian communities in Lebanon Christian cities in Lebanon