Cheikh Mohammad () is a village situated in
Akkar Governorate
Akkar Governorate () is the northernmost governorate of Lebanon. It comprises the single district of Akkar, which in turn is subdivided into 121 municipalities. The capital is at Halba. It covers an area of and is bounded by the Mediterranean ...
,
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 ...
. Situated 400 metres above sea level, in between two mountains, it overlooks the Akkar plains and sea. It is made up of approximately 450 houses, with 99% of the population being
Christian
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
, mostly
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 ...
,
Melkite Catholics and
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 ...
. This small village contains two schools, a primary and secondary as well as two churches, one dating back hundreds of years. It also has the first hospital in Akkar, named "Akkar Rahal Hospital".
History
In 1838,
Eli Smith
Eli Smith (September 13, 1801 – January 11, 1857) was an American Protestant missionary and scholar.
Biography
Smith was born in Northford, Connecticut, to Eli and Polly (née Whitney) Smith. He graduated from Yale College in 1821 and from A ...
noted the village, whose inhabitants were
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 ...
, located in the 'Akkar region.
In 1856 it was named ''Sheikh Muhammed'' on
Kiepert's map of Palestine/Lebanon published that year.
[Kiepert, 1856]
Map of Northern Palestine/Lebanon
/ref>
Village life
The Village is divided into two sections, the upper and the lower. The upper is predominantly made up of the Fares, Bitar, Khoury and Al Rahbawy families. The lower is predominantly made up of the Fares El-Cheikh, Rahal, Mahfoud, Boustani, Taoum, Helwe, and Yaacoub families, with the Al Rahbawy family being the biggest and wealthiest. Although many of the families members have travelled abroad to escape the civil war of 1975–1990, many have returned in recent years. Many of them have also expanded and moved to many countries including Australia, United States of America, Canada, France, Brazil, Venezuela and Argentina.
Cheikh Mohammad is a five-minute walk away from Halba, the capital city of Akkar Governorate, providing quick access to all household needs.
References
Bibliography
*
External links
Cheikh Mohammad
Localiban
"Lebanese struggle with broken economy,"
by Don Duncan. San Francisco Chronicle, March 23, 2008]
Populated places in Akkar District
Christian communities in Lebanon
{{Lebanon-geo-stub