Bchaaleh (

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

: بشعله), alternatively spelled Bcheale, Bchealeh or Bshaaleh, is a village in the

Batroun District Batroun District () is a district (''qadaa'') located in the North Governorate, Lebanon, south of Tripoli. Its capital is the city of Batroun, which is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Its natural borders are: in t ...

of the

North Governorate North Governorate (, ') is one of the governorates of Lebanon and one of the two governorates of North Lebanon. Its capital is Tripoli, Lebanon, Tripoli. Ramzi Nohra has been its governor since May 2, 2014. The population of North Governorate is ...

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 had 1,456 eligible voters in the 2009 elections, and the residents mainly belonged to the

Maronite Church 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 Maronit ...

. The village is notable for being home for the

Sisters Olive Trees of Noah The Sisters Olive Trees of Noah are a grove of sixteen olive trees in the Lebanon, Lebanese town of Bcheale. According to local folklore, the trees are at least 5,000 years old, perhaps even 6,000 years old or older. However in 2024 a study usin ...

, twelve olive trees believed to be among the world's oldest.

Geography

The village of Bchaaleh stands on a promontory, with views of the sea and across Douma. It is home to traditional houses and to Saint Stephan church, one of the largest in the region of Batroun. To the north-east of the village, a citadel is built on the ruins of a medieval fortress, erected itself on Phoenicians ruins destroyed by the Romans.

Centennial olive trees

Twelve

olive trees The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'' ("European olive"), is a species of subtropical evergreen tree in the family Oleaceae. Originating in Asia Minor, it is abundant throughout the Mediterranean Basin, with wild subspecies in Africa ...

still live in the village of Bchaaleh, at more than 1200m above sea level. It is said that they are the oldest olive trees in the world. Different studies and research present data on the age of the

in Bchaaleh. Some claim they are "between five and seven thousand years old".

Etymology

Syriac origin, "Beit Chaali", meaning "the place of glorification and adoration".

Demographics

In 2014

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 ...

made up 99.14% of registered voters in Bchaaleh. 93.70% of the voters were Maronite Catholics.

Solar power

In 2017 Bchaaleh installed a

solar farm A photovoltaic power station, also known as a solar park, solar farm, or solar power plant, is a large-scale grid-connected photovoltaic power system (PV system) designed for the supply of merchant power. They are different from most building ...

, and managed to avoid the worst effects of the 2021 Lebanese blackout.Lebanon crisis: How one village keeps the lights on thanks to solar power
by Elizabeth Fitt, 30 October 2021,

Middle East Eye ''Middle East Eye'' (MEE) is a United Kingdom-based media website and channel that primarily focuses on news related to the Middle East, North Africa, and the broader Muslim world. The ownership of the organisation is undisclosed. Some sources ...

References

External links

Bcheaali
Localiban
Photos of the Olive Trees of Bcheale on Panoramio.com

Sisters olive trees of Noah website about the town of Bcheale

*
The sisters olive trees of noah, the last sentinels of the north
—article by the Association for the protection of Lebanese heritage
Village websiteWeather and climate
from

Accuweather AccuWeather, Inc. is a private-sector American media company that provides commercial weather forecasting services. AccuWeather was founded in 1962 by Joel N. Myers. The company adopted the name 'AccuWeather' in 1971. AccuWeather is headquar ...

Bchaaleh
fro
Les Plus Beaux Villages du Liban
{{Batroun District Populated places in Batroun District Tourist attractions in Lebanon Maronite Christian communities in Lebanon