Baaqleen (Baakline)
stands in the Shouf region in the very heart of
Mount Lebanon, at a height of rather over 2,600
feet (850 meters), a little south-west of Deir el-Qamar
and 35 miles (52 kilometers) from Beirut, capital
of Lebanon. There are several roads leading to the
town: one may follow the route of Beit ed-Deen and
Deir el-Qamar, that of Ambal, or the way of Jahlieh
or of Kfarheem.
The origin of the name is Syriac or Aramaic. The
initial B is a shortening of Beit, the house, the
place, the site, but the following part is from
the root aql, meaning wisdom or intelligence. This
would give the home or source of wisdom, but it
could also mean a kind of thistle, or spines, or
a place of slopes, sharp bends, or winding paths;
this would give another meaning, the house of thistles
(teasels) or low bushes, scrub.
Baaqleen is a typical Lebanese village nestling
in verdure and woodland, with the generous richness
of nature extending all around over seven hills
of incomparable picturesque beauty.
To pronounce the name of Baaqleen is to summarize
in a word the story of the great Emir Maan-Fakhreddeen,
who left his birthplace to set up his seat in Deir
el-Qamar. Emir Fakhreddeen the Great was born in
Baaqleen and grew up there His purpose was to unite
all the regions and to enlarge the emirate or princedom
so as to free Lebanon from the Ottoman rule and
to ensure its independence.
The name Baaqleen is found in archives going back
as far as the year 1219, date of the decease of
the brother of Salah ed-Deen (Saladin) at Baaqleen,
where he was buried. History makes it clear that
after the battle of Aïn Dara’ between the Kaïssïïns
and the Yamanïïns in 1711, the emir of
the mountains Haïdar Shehab kept Baaqleen within
his princedom because of its importance.
Later, Baaqleen was attached directly to the seat
of the Caïmacam and was his summer residence,
and now it still maintains its economic, social
and – for the Druze – its religious importance in
the Shouf, with a maqam and its kholwats for prayers
and meetings. Apart from that, Baaqleen is well
known as a summer and tourist resort. People from
all over the world coming to see Deir el-Qamar and
Beit ed-Deen gather in Baaqleen.
One may see in Baaqleen remains of great historic
importance, such as cellars, places of worship,
ancient houses and princely residences; here I would
mention in particular the palace of Hussein Hamadeh,
more than four hundred years old, dating from 1591,
and wonderful for its planning, architecture and
general beauty.
Note the venerable stairways that join up the squares
and alleyways, all integrated into the slopes; the
old mills and oil-presses; the tombs bearing witness
to the Crusades; the great Seraglio of the Takieddeen
family and the prison later transformed into a National
Library; the four-hundred-year-old oak tree associated
with Lamartine; the streets and alleys reserved
to pedestrians; the beautiful old church of St.
Elijah the Prophet built in 1753; the public garden,
the camping zone and much else besides. There are
also cinemas, theatres, clubs for sport and for
culture, hotels and restaurants, and open-air cafés
alongside the river. Social, cultural and sporting
activities are fully catered for.
The infrastructure is thoroughly modern with medical
centers, telephone services, hydro-electricity,
communication, and schools. These are complemented
by a great variety of natural riches, woodland,
fields, market gardens, orchards, and markets for
several kinds of local produce, including olives
and their oil, and local crafts including production
of soap. Olives and olive oil are produced on a
large scale. A school for craftsmanship was set
up in the town and there is attention to such local
products as jam, preserves and other foodstuffs.
There are a number of springs from which water gushes
out in abundance, the Fountain and Spring of Dayah,
Ain Hatab, Ain er-Rabih, Haret el-Fawqa, Ain et-Tannour,
and others.
Baaqleen is a town for the Druze, who however live
in harmony and on good terms with their Christian
and other neighbors.. Among the great families are
the Hamadeh, the Takieddeen, the Dahouk and the
Alameddine. Without going into details of history,
one cannot pass on without a special expression
of admiration for the illustrious family of the
Hamadeh sheikhs, who for several centuries gave
the Druze community of Lebanon their “Sheikh Akl”.
This is something unique in Druze history. Three
politico-spiritual leaders stand out, namely Sheikh
Mohammed Hamadeh, Sheikh Hussein Hamadeh and Sheikh
Rashid Hamadeh.
The son of the last Sheikh Akl was Sheikh Farid
Hamadeh,a great advocate and patriot without peer,
joining with his family and Lebanese of every community
to defend the centuries-old social harmony existing
between Druze and Christians. He gave his life for
the struggle against occupation and died in exile.
His sons Sheikhs Khaled and Maan and their sister
Nada carried on in the same spirit, following the
example of their ancestors.
In Baaqleen there are many graduates in higher studies
in every domain, medicine, law, engineering, literature,
journalism, economics, and the like.
Baaqleen has a very active town council which has
thrown itself into many projects to make the town
known and to raise the standard of living, promoting
activity in all the sectors of culture, industry,
history, education and agricultural research. It
works hand-in-hand with the appropriate ministries
of Tourism, Culture, Education, Public Works, and
Foreign Affairs, to ensure the development and improvement
of the village.
Joseph Matar
Translation from the French: Kenneth J. Mortimer
- Baakline - National
Library : >>
View Movie <<
(2012-06-01)
- Baakline - Hamadeh
Palace : >>
View Movie <<
(2012-06-01)
