SLIDE 1
A development by s.a.l.
www.archidesignlb.com
Apple Grove
A Community based development
Background
The historic village of Ehden is located in the mountains of North Lebanon, some 1450 metres above sea
- level. It is 120 kilometres from the capital, Beirut; 30 kilometres from the coastal city of Tripoli and 23 kilome-
tres from its sister town of Zgharta. The origins of its name are obscured by time and myth; one explanation is that it is derived from the biblical
- Eden. Mankind has lived in the area for thousands of years. Some early texts mention that those living in the
area Ehden came from the descendants of the tribe of Samuel, the son of Noah. In 850 BC, it is recorded that the Aramaic-Syriac King Hadd Azzar came to Ehden and raised a statue to their god known as “Baal Loubnan” or “ The God of Snow”. Four hundred years later, Slokos, a commander in Alexander the Great army, came to Ehden, and a group of Macedonians settled there, building a temple and statue of “ The god of Sun”. From its pagan past it became the cradle of Christianity in Lebanon. The many churches of Ehden are a living testament to the history of the people of the area and their faith since the early beginning of Christi-
- anity. Mar (Saint) Mama’s Church is the oldest Maronite church in Lebanon built in 749 AD on the site of a
pagan temple. The Church incorporates some of the stones from the pagan temple. The village of Ehden is watched over by the mountaintop Church of the Lady of the Fortress (Our Lady of Al-Hosn). There has been a Church on the mountain since early times. In 1989 the present modernistic church was consecrated and is a landmark for the whole North. Ehden has many old houses and buildings, still inhabited by the current generation of the original family, some using the stones of the pagan temple. The old souk (market place) is a popular destination for visitors to Ehden, who can see the work of the local artisana. Beside its many historic churches, monasteries and buildings, Ehden has throughout its history contributed to the religious, political and culture life of Lebanon. It has produced religious leaders, academicians, na- tionalist leaders, artists and presidents. Among them are Patriarch Youhanna Makhlouf 1608-1633) Maroni- te Patriarch; Patriarch George Oumayra, (1633-1644), Maronite Patriarch, called the “Light of the Oriental” being an expert on Orient languages; Gibrael Al Sahyouni (1577 –1648), academic, author of a polyglot bible, offjcial translator to King Louis XIII of France, his statue stands in Ehden; Patriarch Stephane Doueihi (1630-1704), maronite patriarch and considered to be the “father of Maronite history”; Germanos Farhat (1670 – 1732), author of a infmuential book on Arabic grammar; Youssef Bey Karam (1823 – 1889), Lebanese nationalist, his body lies in St George’s Church, and his statue nearby is a landmark of Ehden; Saliba Doueihi (1909-1994) world renown artist; President Sleiman Kabalan Frangieh (1910- 1992), President of Lebanon; President Rene Mouawad (1925-1989), President of Lebanon. Ehden is not only a place of history it is also a place of today. Tourists are welcomed and well provided for with hotels, restaurants and café trotoire’s. In the centre of Ehden is the Al Midan, a square, wherein lies many cafés, bars and nightclubs. In the cool of the evening under the stars café society continues late into the early morning. The lingua franca of Ehden is French, English, Portuguese and Spanish, evidence of the Lebanese Diaspora. During the summer there are cultural and eco tourist activities such as painting exhibi- tions, fjlm festival and nature treks. It is also known for its traditional dishes such as the meat dish, Kibbeh Nayyeh and salad, tabbouleh, which has become internationally famous and part of the world’s cuisine. For the visitor, Ehden is ideally placed for other tourist centres, the Horsh Ehden (meaning the Forest of Ehden), a nature reserve; the Qozhaya Valley (Holy Valley), which has cave chapels, monasteries and
- hermitages. The Monastery of St Anthony the Great, possesses the fjrst printing press in the Middle East, in-
stalled in 1584; Kornet al Sawda (Black Horn) Middle East’s highest mountain (3088 metres above sea level) and the Cedars, where the last cedars of a great cedar forest can be seen, which becomes a skiing resort in winter. Ehden is a place where the seasons of the year are distinct, with their own colours, rhythms and customs. Traditionally the people of Ehden, having settled Zgharta in the 16th Century and which is now the admin- istrative centre of the district, use to come down to its sister town at autumn time for the warmer winter
- weather. Returning to Ehden in the early summer to enjoy its cooler climate. These days with better road
communications, Ehden enjoys an increasing winter season, with many snow sport activities. As another citizen of Ehden, Jawad Boulos (1900-1982), founder member of the Lebanese Academy, said “Ehden brings energy to my body and clarity to my mind and pleasure to my soul”. Ehden is a place where you meet history and enjoy what is best in Lebanon