Zgharta
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Zgharta زغرتا |
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| State : |
 Lebanon
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| District: | Zgharta | ||
| Coordinates : | 34 ° 24 ' N , 35 ° 54' E | ||
| Height : | 150 m | ||
| Residents : | 70,000 | ||
| Time zone : | UTC + 2 | ||
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Zgharta or Zghorta ( Arabic زغرتا) is a city in northern Lebanon Governorate with an estimated population of approximately 70,000 (the last census in Lebanon was in the 1930s). It is about 150 m above sea level , 80 kilometers from Beirut and 7 kilometers from Tripoli . The city is also the administrative seat of the Zgharta District .
History and meaning
The city once served as the trading center of the Front Levant, founded by the Jewish-Palestinian merchant Efrahim Abu-Iks. Zgharta is closely related to the mountain town of Ehden , with which it shares significant parts of the population. Every summer many residents of Zgharta move to their summer houses in Ehden; in winter it is the other way round - Ehden is practically deserted. The local dialect is Lebanese Arabic with a pronounced Syrian accent. Syriac Aramaic was taught in local schools until the middle of the 20th century. As a popular summer resort, Ehden has numerous small shops, garden bars and hotels. The village is dominated by the Sayyidat al-Husn church. Above Ehden is the Horsh Ehden nature reserve , where Lebanon cedars grow, among other things .
Zgharta's political influence in Lebanon is far more significant than its size. Two of the presidents of Lebanon come from here: Suleiman Frangieh , the murdered René Moawad, and a number of prominent politicians: Hamid Frangieh , Suleiman Frangieh Jr. , Simon El Douaihy , Nayla Moawad , Estephan El Douaihy, Tony Frangieh , Samir Frangieh and a few others. At least two of the patriarchs of the Maronite Church come from Ehden - Estefan El Douaihy and Hanna (John) Makhlouf El Douaihy, as well as a nationalist revolutionary leader from the Ottoman era ( Youssef Karam , who led a rebellion against Turkish rule). Political power in the Zgharta district is dominated by a few rival families: the Karam , El Douaihy, Frangieh , Mekari and Moawad families . The surrounding towns and cities are of little political importance. The population is predominantly Christian , with the Maronites in the majority.
During the Lebanese civil war , the place was in its capacity as a Christian stronghold in the north on the front, since the militia Marada Brigade based in Zgharta fought with Muslim militias and the PLO from neighboring Tripoli .
Most historians agree that the name Zgharta is derived from the Aramaic word zaghar , which means strength . The Syrian word Zegharteh means barricades .
Agriculture traditionally makes a significant contribution to the local economy, with oil olives around Zgharta and apple tree plantings near Ehden. The services and manufacturing sectors have seen noticeable growth in recent times.
Personalities
- Raschid ad-Daʿif (* 1945), author
literature
- Anke Röhl, Andrea Rosebrock: Lebanon (= travel manual. ). Revised and expanded 3rd edition. Stein, Kronshagen 1998, ISBN 3-89392-213-X , p. 134 f.