Chouf district

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The Chouf district ( Arabic قضاء الشوف Qaḍāʾ aš-Šūf ) is an administrative district ( Qaḍāʾ ) in the Lebanese Governorate of Mount Lebanon . The district also forms the heart of the Chouf , a mountain region. The main town of the district is Beit ed-Din .

geography

The district is located southeast of the capital Beirut . It borders on the Aley district to the north, West Bekaa to the east, and Jezzine and Sidon to the south . In the west it meets the Levant Sea with the city of Damur . It is home to the Biosphere Reserve Al Chouf Cedar Nature Reserve .

Important rivers are the Damour and Awali rivers . The Ammiq Wetland is an important resting place for migratory birds.

Religious Composition

The Chouf is the heartland of the Lebanese Druze . The Druze leader Walid Jumblat has his seat in Moukhtara . The emirs of Lebanon also had their residence in the Chouf. The most famous is the Beit ed-Din palace of Bashir Shihab II from the first half of the 19th century. Another historic town near Beit ed-Din is Deir el-Qamar .

Despite major conflicts between the various religious-ethnic groups, the Chouf district is one of the most religiously diverse in Lebanon. The main religious groups are Druze , Maronites and Shiites . There is also a significant Melkite community .

Proportions of religious groups in the population

Denomination Percentage
Christians 30%
Syrian-Maronite Church of Antioch 26th
Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch 1
Melkite Greek Catholic Church 2
Other Christian denominations 1
Muslims 70%
Sunnis 6th
Shiites 2
Druze 62
Alevis 0

Cities and significant places

Attractions

Web links

Coordinates: 33 ° 42 '  N , 35 ° 36'  E