Byblos District (; transliteration: ''Qadaa' Jbeil''), also called the Jbeil District (''Jbeil'' is Lebanese Arabic for "Byblos"; standard Arabic ''Jubail''), is a district (''

qadaa A kaza (, "judgment" or "jurisdiction") was an administrative division of the Ottoman Empire. It is also discussed in English under the names district, subdistrict, and juridical district. Kazas continued to be used by some of the empire's succe ...

'') of the

Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate Keserwan-Jbeil () is the most recently created governorate of Lebanon. It consists of the districts of Jbeil and Keserwan. Keserwan-Jbeil covers an area of and is bounded by the North Governorate to the north, the Baalbek-Hermel Governorate to ...

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 to the northeast of Lebanon's capital

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 ...

. The capital is

Byblos Byblos ( ; ), also known as Jebeil, Jbeil or Jubayl (, Lebanese Arabic, locally ), is an ancient city in the Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate of Lebanon. The area is believed to have been first settled between 8800 and 7000BC and continuously inhabited ...

. The rivers of al-Madfoun and

Nahr Ibrahim The Nahr Ibrahim (; Abraham River) also known as Adonis River (), is a small river in the Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate in Lebanon, with a length of about 23 km. The river emerges from two sources: The Roueiss grotto in Aaqoura that provides two t ...

form the district's natural northern and southern borders respectively, with the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...

bordering it from the west and

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, ...

from the east, separating it from the adjacent district of

Baalbek Baalbek (; ; ) is a city located east of the Litani River in Lebanon's Beqaa Valley, about northeast of Beirut. It is the capital of Baalbek-Hermel Governorate. In 1998, the city had a population of 82,608. Most of the population consists of S ...

in the

Beqaa Valley The Beqaa Valley (, ; Bekaa, Biqâ, Becaa) is a fertile valley in eastern Lebanon and its most important farming region. Industry, especially the country's agricultural industry, also flourishes in Beqaa. The region broadly corresponds to th ...

Demographics

The district's population is predominantly

Maronite Catholic 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 ...

, followed by a

Shia Muslim Shia Islam is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political Succession to Muhammad, successor (caliph) and as the spiritual le ...

minority community. The largest towns of the district are predominantly inhabited by Maronites; notably

Qartaba Qartaba (, Syriac language, Syriac: ܩܪܛܒܐ, also spelled ''Kartaba'' or ''Artaba'') is a town in the mountains of the Byblos District of the Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate, Lebanon. It is located 57 kilometers north Beirut on the mountains above ...

Aqoura Aqoura (, also spelled ''Aaqoura'', "Akoura") is a mountainous village in the Byblos District of Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate, Lebanon, 68 kilometers north of Beirut. Aaqoura has an average elevation of 1,600 meters above sea level (between 1000 and ...

and

Amsheet Amsheet (, '; also spelled Amchit) is a seaside town and municipality in the Byblos District of Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate, Lebanon, about 40 km north of Beirut. The town's average elevation is 140 meters above sea level and its total land a ...

. Most Shia Muslims live in the villages of Almat,

Ras Osta Ras Osta (, also spelled ''Ras Usta'') is a municipality in the Byblos District of Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate, Lebanon. It is 55 kilometers north of Beirut. Ras Osta has an average elevation of 900 meters above sea level and a total land area of ...

Hjoula Hjoula () is a municipality in the Byblos District of Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate, Lebanon. It is north of Beirut. Hjoula has an elevation of between above sea level. Hjoula has a total land area of . The village of Hjoula is known for its fertil ...

and Bichtlida, and in the jurd highlands of Lassa,

Afqa Afqa (; also spelled ''Afka'') is a village and municipality located in the Byblos District of the Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate, northeast of Beirut in Lebanon. It has an average elevation of 1,200 meters above sea level and a total land area of ...

and

Mazraat es-Siyad Mazraat es-Siyad (; also transliterated Mazraet es-Siyed, Mazraet el-Siyed, ) is a mountainous village and municipality in the highlands of the Byblos District in the Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate, Lebanon. The town is away from Beirut, and stands a ...

. A

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 ...

minority forms part of the population and is spread among several villages know locally as ''qornet el-roum'' (the corner of the Greek Orthodox). The villages that make up ''qournet el-roum'' are

Mounsef Mounsef (, also spelled ''al-Mounsif'') is a municipality in the Byblos District of Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate, Lebanon. It located off the Mediterranean coast and is 47 kilometers north of Beirut. Mounsef has an average elevation of 220 meters ab ...

Jeddayel Jeddayel (; also spelled ''Geddayel'' or ''Jadayel'') is a town in the Byblos District of the Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate, Lebanon. It is located 4 km north of Byblos. Its inhabitants are predominantly Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch, Greek Or ...

, Bekhaaz,

Berbara Berbara may refer to: *Berbara, Akkar, Akkar District, Akkar Governorate, Lebanon *Berbara, Byblos Berbara (, also spelled ''al-Barbara'') is a municipality in the Byblos District of Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate, Lebanon. It is located along the M ...

, Gharzouz, Rihanneh and Chikhane. According to registered voters in 2014:

Electoral constituency

Byblos District has three seats allocated to it in the Lebanese Parliament. Two of these seats are allocated to Maronite Catholics, while the other seat is allocated to Shia Muslims.

Landmarks and sights

The Byblos District rises from 0 to 2,300 meters above sea level in the north. "Jabal el-Mnaitra" is also in the district, and said to have an altitude of 2,911/2,807 meters above sea level, but this isn't confirmed. Moreover, The District hosts a number of significant sites. The capital

is an important historical and archaeological site boasting Phoenician, Roman, and Crusader ruins. The mountain village of Aannaya hosts the Saint Maroun-Aannaya monastery and the Catholic shrine of

Saint Charbel Charbel Makhlouf, O.L.M. (, May 8, 1828 – December 24, 1898), born Youssef Antoun Makhlouf and venerated as Saint Charbel, was a Maronite monk and priest from modern-day Lebanon. During his life, he obtained a wide reputation for holiness, an ...

(1828-1898), the first Lebanese saint (officially canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1977), both significant religious Maronite Christian holy sites. The village of

Laqlouq Laqlouq (), also spelled ''Laklouk'' and also known as ′Arab Laqlouq () is a small mountainous village in mountainous area in the Byblos District of Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate, Lebanon. It is located 69 kilometers northeast of Beirut. Laqlouq has ...

, which has an altitude of 1,750 meters to 2,000 meters, is a ski resort. The village of

contains the Afqa grotto, which is the source of the Nahr Ibrahim, also known as the Adonis River. The village of

Bentaël Bentaël () is a village is located 49 km north of Beirut, Lebanon. It rises to an altitude of 850 metres of sea level. Etymology The name Bentaël comes from the Semitic language, Semitic root Bent Aal, meaning "The daughter of God Aal". Demogr ...

(also spelled Bintaael) contains the first

protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewood ...

in Lebanon, established in 1981. The village of

Jaj Jaj (, also spelled ''Jaje'') is a mountainous village in the Byblos District of Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate, Lebanon. It is 68 kilometers north of Beirut. Jaj has an average elevation of 1,220 meters above sea level and a total land area of 1,17 ...

hosts surviving

cedar Cedar may refer to: Trees and plants *''Cedrus'', common English name cedar, an Old-World genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae * Cedar (plant), a list of trees and plants known as cedar Places United States * Cedar, Arizona ...

trees from the ancient cedar forests from which cedar wood was exported to Egypt and later to

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

. The village Chikhane is considered the birthplace of the first Russian school in the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

, believed to have been established during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. The village of Hjoula is among the very rare villages in Lebanon to contain fossilized sea animals in it, along the village of Haqel. Byblos District also has a notable beach life with many public and private resorts existing along the seaside.

Towns and villages

List and location of the 98 towns and villages in the Byblos district: *01 Fghal *02 Kfar Kiddeh *03 Chmout *04

*05 Maad *06 Bekhaaz *07 Ain Kfaa *08

Mayfouq Mayfouq (; ) is a village and municipality in the Byblos District of Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate, Lebanon. It is located 64 km north of Beirut. Mayfouq has an average elevation of 860 meters above sea level and its total land area is 588 hect ...

*09

Bejjeh Bejjeh () is a municipality in the Byblos District of Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate, Lebanon. It is 54 kilometers north of Beirut. Bejjeh has an average elevation of 560 meters above sea level and a total land area of 502 hectares. There were four co ...

*10

*11 Gharzouz *12 Al Kattara *13 El Kharbeh *14 Tartej *15 Ghalboun *16 Chikhan *17

Hsarat Hsarat () (also spelled ''Hisarat'', ''Hasrat'', ''Hsarate'', ''Ḩaşrāt'', ''Hsârâte'', ''Hsarale'' or ''Ḩişārāt'') is a village in the Byblos District of the Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate, Lebanon. Its inhabitants are predominantly Maroni ...

and Richkif *18 Haqel *19 Rihaneh *20 Chamat *21 Ramout *22

Lehfed Lehfed (, also known as ''Lihfid'') is a municipality in the Byblos District of Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate, Lebanon. It is 55 kilometers north of Beirut. Lehfed has an average elevation of 1000 meters above sea level and a total land area of 542 he ...

*23 Obeidat *24

Hosrayel Hosrayel (, also spelled ''Hisrail'' or ''Hasrayel'') is a municipality in the Byblos District of Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate, Lebanon. It is 44 kilometers north of Beirut. Hosrayel has an average elevation of 220 meters above sea level and a total ...

*25

*26

Beithabbak Beithabbak () is a small village in the district of Byblos in Lebanon. It is located on a small hill, northwest from Byblos at an altitude of . Demography There are 310 inhabitants in the village. The inhabitants are Maronite Maronites (; ) ...

*27 Sakiet el Kheit *28

*29

Hbaline Hbaline () is a small village in Byblos-Lebanon located 44 km north of Beirut and at an altitude of 540 meters, just above Amsheet and Gherfine and before BeitHabbak. Hbaline is located on a small hill. Its eastern side overlooks the Medi ...

*30 Ghorfine *31 Kfoun *32 Kafr and El Harf *33 Arab El Haib *34 Saki Rechmaya *35 Habil *36 Behdidat *37 Kfar Mashoun and Dmalsa *38

*39 Birket Hjoula *40

Kfar Hitta Kfar Hitta () is a village located in the Byblos District in the Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate in Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediter ...

*41 Mish Mish *42

(Fdar El Soufla) *43 Edde *44

*45

*46 Bichtlida *47 Hboub *48

Ehmej Ehmej (; also spelled ''Ihmij'') is a municipality in the Byblos District of Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate, Lebanon. It is located 57 kilometers northeast of Beirut. Ehmej's inhabitants are predominantly Maronites, Maronite Catholics. There are two sc ...

*49

*50 Kfar Qouas *51 litij *52 Mehrin *53 Brayj *54

*55

*56

*57 Kfar Baal (Annaya) *58 Jlisseh *59 Sirin *60 Qartaboun *61 Almat el-Chmaliyeh *62 Blat *63 Tourzaiya *64

Mghayreh Mghayreh (, also spelled ''Mughaire'', ) is a municipality in the Byblos District of Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate, Lebanon. It is 82 kilometers north of Beirut. Mghayreh has an average elevation of 1,300 meters above sea level and a total land area ...

*65 Almat el-Jnoubiyeh *66 Tedmor and Serghal *67 Mastita *68 Jouret El Qattine *69 Bchilleh *70 Ferhet *71

Fidar Fidar (), municipality in the Byblos District of Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate, Lebanon. It is 35 kilometers of Beirut. Fidar has an average elevation of 100 meters above sea level and a total land area of 390 hectare The hectare (; SI symbol: h ...

*72 Yanouh *73 Deir Mar Sarkis *74 Zebdin *75 Bazyoun *76 Souaneh *77 Balhoss *78

Hsoun Hsoun (, also spelled ''el-Houssoun'') is a municipality in the Byblos District of Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate, Lebanon. It is 73 kilometers north of Beirut. Bejjeh has an average elevation of 916 meters above sea level and a total land area of 326 ...

*79

*80 Hedayne *81 Alita *82 Ain ed-Delbeh *83 Halat *84 Frat *85

Fatreh Fatreh (, also spelled ''Fatry'') is a municipality in the Byblos District of Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate, Lebanon. It is 45 kilometers north of Beirut. Fatreh has an average elevation of 500 meters above sea level and a total land area of 294 hect ...

and Bir-el-Haït *86 Majdel *87 Seraaita *88 Ain Jrain *89 Ain el-Ghouaybeh *90

Mechane A mechane (; , ''mēkhanḗ'') or machine was a crane used in Greek theatre, especially in the 5th and 4th centuries BC. Made of wooden beams and pulley systems, the device was used to lift an actor into the air, usually representing flight. Thi ...

*91

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 Sannour *92 Janneh *93

Ghabat Ghabat (or Al-Ghabat) is a village in Lebanon located in the Jurd area of the district of Byblos in the Mount Lebanon region, about 74 kilometres northeast of Beirut. Its inhabitants are predominantly Maronite Catholics. Al Ghabat has a dry-summer ...

*94 Qorqraiya *95 Lassa *96

*97

*98 Qahmez

References

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