The name Araya is Phoenician in origin and means great
cold, frost. As Araya is not a region of extreme cold,
the name would seem rather to indicate bareness and
aridity. The village of Araya stands about eight miles
east of Beirut. If one goes along the main Beirut-Damascus
highway, to reach it one should turn left just before
the important summer resort of Aley. Facing Mount
Sannine, Arays is between six and fifteen hundred
feet above sea level, in a mountainous region where
olive trees, almond trees and vines flourish.
The village is entirely Christian and was burnt down
during the tragic inter-communal violence of 1860.
It has a number of luxurious and functional residential
buildings surrounded by greenery. The infrastructure
is thoroughly modern, because of the proximity to
Aley, a major center full of life and activity, with
notable festivals, and therefore much sought-after
by tourists. The inhabitants of Araya include farmers,
technicians, craftsmen, business employees, doctors,
engineers and officials in close proximity to each
other, working in their various sectors for the development
of their village. Many young people have gone abroad,
especially to Arab countries, drawn by the possibilities
of well-paid work.
Araya has been twinned with the town of Chelet in
France, represented by its mayor, the parliamentary
deputy of Manine and Loire. There are frequent exchanges
between the two municipalities.
What draws our attention at Araya and the nearby villages
such as “Shouit” is the railway line laid down between
1891 and 1893. It is narrow-gauge and the only line
crossing the heights, winding over the slopes and
passing through several small tunnels. One tunnel
at Araya itself is a hundred yards long and is used
to attract tourists, who can take their cars through.
There is lighting that is operated electronically
with synchronized passage lights on both sides. This
gives Araya a unique charm to draw tourists and also
the taste of a heritage that awakes nostalgia.
The narrow-gauge track stretches from Beirut to the
Beqaa valley and to Syria, while another line touching
Beirut, of standard gauge, runs from Istanbul in Turkey
along the Lebanese coast towards Cairo in Egypt. A
train which could climb the heights oof Mount Lebanon
supposed considerable science and technology and had
to advance slowly. When the line was inaugurated on
3rd August, 1895, people came from villages all around
to welcome the first arrivals.
If one follows the route to Aley, Zahleh and on to
Damascus, one may see the little tunnel which has
been so well preserved and also visit the snall station
which once assured the transport of passengers and
merchandise.
Joseph Matar - Translation from the French:
Kenneth Mortimer
- Araya railway - road: >> View
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