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'Beqaa' (Arabic: البقاع, "valley"; also transliterated as 'Bekaa', 'Biqâ‘' or 'Becaa') is a fertile valley in east Lebanon. The Romans called the Beqaa Valley the "Breadbasket of the Empire," and today it remains Lebanon’s most important farming region,^[1] and a major Shia population center in Lebanon.^[2]

Contents

Geography

Districts and towns

Landmarks

Wines

Guerrilla organizations

External link

Geography

The Beqaa is a fertile valley in Lebanon, located about 30 km (19 miles) east of Beirut. The valley is situated between the Mount Lebanon to the west and the Anti-Lebanon mountain ranges to the east. It forms the northeasternmost extension of the Great Rift Valley, which stretches from Syria through the Red Sea into Africa. Beqaa Valley is about 120 km (about 75 miles) in length and has an average width of about 16 km (about 10 miles). It has a Mediterranean climate of wet, often snowy winters and dry, warm summers. The region receives limited rainfall, particularly in the north, because Mount Lebanon creates a rain shadow that blocks precipitation coming from the sea. The northern section has an average annual rainfall of 230 mm (9 inches), compared to 610 mm (24 inches) in the central valley. Two rivers originate in the valley: the Orontes (Asi), which flows north into Syria and Turkey, and the Litani, which flows south and then west to the Mediterranean Sea.
From the 1st century BCE, when the region was part of the Roman Empire, the Beqaa Valley served as a source of grain for the Roman provinces of the Levant. Today the valley makes up 40 percent of Lebanon's arable land. The northern end of the valley, with its scarce rainfall and less fertile soils, is used primarily as grazing land by pastoral nomads, mostly migrants from the Syrian Desert. Farther south, more fertile soils support crops of wheat, corn, cotton, and vegetables, with vineyards and orchards centered around Zahle. The valley also produces hashish and cultivates opium poppies, which are exported as part of the illegal drug trade. Since 1957 the Litani hydroelectricity project—a series of canals and a dam located at Lake Qaraoun in the southern end of the valley—has improved irrigation to farms in Beqaa Valley.

Districts and towns

Zahle is the largest city and the administrative capital of the Beqaa Governorate. It lies just north of the main Beirut–Damascus highway, which bisects the valley. The majority of Zahle's residents are Lebanese Christian, including those belonging to the Armenian Apostolic Church, Melkite Greek Catholic Church, Maronite Church, and members of the Greek Orthodox Church. The town of Anjar, situated in the eastern part of the valley, has a predominately Armenian Lebanese population and is also famous for its 8th-century Arab ruins. The majority of the inhabitants of the northern districts of Beqaa, Baalbeck and Hermel, are Lebanese Shia, with the exception of the town of Deir el Ahmar, whose inhabitants are Christians. The western and southern districts of the valley have a mixed population of Sunni, Christian, and Druze Lebanese. The town of Jib Janine with a population of about 9,000, is situated midway in the valley, and its population is mixed Christians and Muslims. Jib Janine is a governmental center of the region known as Western Bekaa, with municipal services like the emergency medical services (Red Cross), a fire department, and a courthouse.
Due to wars, poverty, unstable economic and political conditions, and failures within the agricultural sector, many previous inhabitants of the valley left for the coastal cities of Lebanon or emigrated from the country altogether.

Landmarks

★ The ancient Roman ruins of Baalbek—probably the most famous historic site in the valley. An ancient city named for the Canaanite god Baal. The Romans renamed Baalbek "Heliopolis" and built an impressive temple complex, including temples to Bacchus, Jupiter, Venus, and the Sun. Today, the ruins are the site of the Baalbeck International Festival, which attracts artists and performance groups from around the world.

★ The Umayyad ruins of Anjar

★ Our Lady of Bekaa, a Marian shrine located in Zahle, with panoramic views of the valley.

★ Lebanon's tallest minaret, located in the town of Kherbet Rouha

★ The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Bechouat

★ Phonician Ruins, located in the village of Kamid El-Lowz

Wines

The Beqaa Valley is Lebanon's most important farming region. It is also home to its famous vineyards and wineries. Winemaking is a tradition that goes back 6000 years in Lebanon. With an average altitude of 1000 m above sea level, the valley's climate is very suitable to vineyards. Abundant winter rain and much sunshine in the summer helps the grapes ripen easily. There are more than a dozen wineries in the Beqaa Valley, producing over six million bottles a year. ^[1]

★ Château Ksara

★ Château Musar

★ Château Kfraya

★ Domaine de Baal

★ Domaine des Tourelles

★ Vin Nakad

★ Massaya

★ Domaine Wardy

★ Clos St. Thomas

★ Heritage

★ Chateau Fakra

★ Cave Kouroum

★ Château Belle-Vue

★ Clos de Cana

★ Nabise Mont Liban

★ The Karam Winery

★ Kfifane

Guerrilla organizations

The valley has become known as a training ground for many guerrilla organizations, such as the PKK, PLO and Hezbollah. Many of the organizations were also harbored in Syria and supported by the Syrian government.

External link

★ Beqaa Photo Gallery Ya Libnan