To speak of one’s heritage, of traditions, customs
and manners, is not easy in these days of rapid evolution
and dizzying changes of the norms of society coming
in quick succession, but there are still corners tucked
away in Lebanon and the world outside which have remained
unaffected. Among them is this Valley of the Cross,
Wadi es-Saleeb. The name is of clear Lebanese Maronite
origin. One may well suppose that in this deep valley
every year the Lebanese faithful went in a procession
of the Holy Cross, with prayers and novenas in acts
of pilgrimage at a time when Fatemite or Ottoman terror
held sway and when hatred and fanaticism were the
masters.
It is also said that the name refers to a cross engraved
on a rock as the boundary mark of a great landlord
of the Sfeir family. Another explanation is that here
met the three rivers of Asal Spring, Laban Spring
and Msan Spring, so forming a cross like that of a
crossroads. The reader may believe what he likes.
In Phoenician and Roman times the Wadi was a pass
quite difficult to climb, running from the seashore
at the mouth of Nahr al-Kalb, Dog River, along the
river bank and up to the temples of Fakra, to finally
reach Baalbek-Heliopolis in the Beqaa valley. It was
known as the Anthonine Road. A similar way ran up
from Byblos to the temple of Astarte and Adonis, through
Yenouh and Afka, on to the temple of Atargatis at
Heliopolis.
The scholars and investigators of Kfarzebian consider
this Wadi es-Saleeb as the heritage of their village
and continue their researches. They suppose that a
spacious stopping-place once existed that would have
allowed the caravans of carriages drawn by horses,
donkeys or mules to get some rest during the hard
climb. In view of the abundance in the valley of woodland
and fig trees, olive trees, other fruit trees and
vines, and above all of mulberry trees, there was
no place better than the Wadi for raising silkworms
and pasturing flocks and herds pf goats and cattle.
Over forty houses were built in one place and the
soil brought under cultivation, so Wadi es-Saleeb
became an active center for work and exchange, for
the production of silk and the raising of worms demand
labor and skill. Production reached over 5,000 oka
of silk; as an oka is the equivalent of 600 grams
this meant no less than three long tons of silk exported
yearly through the coastal ports to Marseille and
Lyon in France.
The valley may be reached through Mayrouba and Kfarzebian
in the southeastern part of the caza of Kesrouan.
The valley slopes down to the cavern of Jeita, famous
for its size and unique beauty, where the torrents
of the valley run into the Nahr al-Kalb river. Right
at the bottom of this valley five or six hundred years
ago there used to be a hamlet of some forty houses.
There is no lack of water as there are many springs
and these provide power for four mills with three
grindstones each. These were a source of prosperity
for the village so there was coming and going between
this village and ones in the surroundings and a minor
commerce flourished.
Maronite Christians practiced their religion and three
churches were built dedicated to Saint Joseph, Saint
Peter and Saint Paul, together with a miraculous chapel
dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary. Concerning this
chapel it is said that in 1887 heavy rain and floods
caused a great deal of damage; there were avalanches
and a ten-foot rock fell on the roof of the chapel,
which nevertheless stood up to the shock. When the
storm subsided, the local inhabitants wished to find
out what damage had been wrought; when they arrived
in front of the chapel and stood there moved to wonder,
one of them cried, “It’s Our Lady of the Rosary who
saved it!” He rushed inside and brought out the painting
of the Virgin Mother, but he had hardly arrived in
front of the door when the chapel was crushed under
the weight of the rock. The good people sent up prayers
to their holy patron and then went off in procession
to the monastery of Roumieh at Kléat, praying
to Jesus and his Mother on the way. In 2015 the painting
of Our Lady of the Rosary was returned to its original
home after the restoration of the chapel.
Here in this valley one is sheltered and protected,
for the valley is militarily impregnable and no army
has ever dared to enter. The place is one of great
beauty and the atmosphere one of love, peace, serenity
and brotherhood. One may well demand how the local
inhabitants managed to scrape a living and exist in
so isolated an area. But the answer is simple: these
brave Maronites were courageous hard workers. They
cleared the land, dug it and planted it and had abundant
harvests. They were a group of about one hundred and
had good relations with the surrounding villages and
also intermarried with them.
They carried on barter and were mutually helpful,
living a Christian life so that the Cross protected
them.
To speak at length of the streams of water, their
springs, the trees and the monumental rocks sculptured
by their Creator, the clearings and all else to be
seen along the way, would take much time. Better far
to park one’s car on the road and to walk in the valley
to reach the site we are talking about and to live
the experience.
In 1615, following the massacre of Christians in the
Qaa region of the Beqaa Valley, the people there sought
refuge from the Christians of Kfarzebian. They were
offered the valley of Wadi es-Saleeb, which they accepted.
They took the name of Qaa’iy from their place of origin.
Now there is a renewal thanks to the European Union,
which has offered a budget for restoration; four houses
have been re-done up as well as the church of Our
Lady of the Rosary. The work will take a long time
and demand much effort and sacrifice.
The valley slopes down from nearly four thousand feet
to two thousand where it joins the Nahr al-Kalb river.
In the little village silence reigns supreme and majestic.
One hears the divine voice of the Creator. The rays
of the sun plunge into the depths, allowing for a
moderate and pleasant climate with delightful fresh
air. After a storm in 1898 a bridge was built by the
engineer Antoine Kikano in the time of Mutassaref
Wasseh Pasha to make the route safe and allow evacuation
of flood water. It was opened in 1901.
After the wave of emigration to the Americas, World
War One and the Ottoman terror, life became very difficult
in al-Wadi, which was emptied of its inhabitants.
The last to go, leaving behind him a tradition of
several centuries of life, customs, tradition and
memories, was a certain Israel Abu Rashed. However,
the Abu Rashed family still exists in Faytroun and
the surrounding villages. The people of Kfarzebian,
the largest region of Kessrouan, are the ones now
concerned with the affairs of the Valley.
My great hope is that our two most illustrious valleys,
that of the Cross and that of the Saints in Kadeesha,
will find new life and rise up from the ashes.
Joseph Matar - William Matar
Translation from the French: Kenneth Mortimer
- Wadi el Salib - Valley 1: >> View
Movie << (2014-11-15)
- Wadi el Salib - Valley 2: >> View
Movie << (2014-11-15)
- Wadi el Salib - Valley 3: >> View
Movie << (2014-11-15)
