Libbaya (لبايا) is a village in the Beka'a Valley 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 ...

, situated in the

Western Beqaa District Western Beqaa District () is an administrative district in the Beqaa Governorate of the Republic of Lebanon. The capital is Joub Jannine which has a population of 12,000. Most of the residents of the district are Sunni Muslims, with a Christian ...

of the

Beqaa Governorate Beqaa ( ') is a governorate in Lebanon and one of the eight districts of the country. It is located in the eastern part of Lebanon and borders with Syria. The capital of the district is the city of Zahlé. Districts Since 2014, Beqaa Governorate ...

. It lies southeast of

Sohmor Sohmor () is a small town in the Beka'a Valley of Lebanon, situated in the Western Beqaa District and south of the Beqaa Governorate. It lies south of Lake Qaraoun on the Litani River. It lies southwest of Machgara, northeast of Ain Et Tine, ...

History

There is a

Roman temple Ancient Roman temples were among the most important buildings in culture of ancient Rome, Roman culture, and some of the richest buildings in Architecture of ancient Rome, Roman architecture, though only a few survive in any sort of complete ...

near the town that was called Ain Libbaya or Ayn Libbaya. It was classified amongst a group of

Temples of Mount Hermon The Temples of Mount Hermon are around thirty Roman shrines and temples that are dispersed around the slopes of Mount Hermon in Lebanon, Israel and Syria. A few temples are built on former buildings of the Phoenician & Hellenistic era, ...

by George Taylor.Taylor, 1971, p.? 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 Libbaya's population as being

Metawileh Lebanese Shia Muslims (), communally and historically known as ''matāwila'' (, plural of ''mutawālin''; pronounced as ''metouéle'' in Lebanese Arabic), are Lebanese people who are adherents of Shia Islam in Lebanon, which plays a major role ...

.Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, 2nd appendix, p
138
/ref> During the war in the 1980s, four Israeli Cobra helicopters backing the attacking force strafed Libbaya and nearby villages, killing a Lebanese soldier.

References

Bibliography

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External links

Localiban Populated places in Western Beqaa District Shia Muslim communities in Lebanon Archaeological sites in Lebanon Tourist attractions in Lebanon Ancient Roman temples Roman sites in Lebanon {{Lebanon-geo-stub