The historic village of Ehden is located in the mountains
of North Lebanon, some 1450 metres above sea level
(4757 feet). It is 120 kilometres from the capital,
Beirut (74.5 miles); 30 kilometres from the coastal
city of Tripoli (18.6 miles) and 23 kilometres from
its sister town of Zgharta (14.2 miles).
The origins of its name are obscured by time and myth;
one explanation is that it is derived from the biblical
Eden. Mankind has lived in the area for thousands
of years. Some early texts mention that those living
in the area Ehden came from the descendants of the
tribe of Samuel, the son of Noah. In 850 BC, it is
recorded that the Aramaic-Syriac King Hadd Azzar came
to Ehden and raised a statue to their god known as
"Baal Loubnan" or "The God of Snow".
Four hundred years later, Slokos, a commander in Alexander
the Great army, came to Ehden, and a group of Macedonians
settled there, building a temple and statue of "
The god of Sun”.
From its pagan past it became the cradle of Christianity
in Lebanon. The many churches of Ehden are a living
testament to the history of the people of the area
and their faith since the early beginning of Christianity.
Mar (Saint) Mama's Church is the oldest Maronite church
in Lebanon built in 749 AD on the site of a pagan
temple. The Church incorporates some of the stones
from the pagan temple. The village of Ehden is watched
over by the mountaintop Church of the Lady of the
Fortress (Our Lady of Al-Hosn). There has been a Church
on the mountain since early times. In 1989 the present
modernistic church was consecrated and is a landmark
for the whole North. Ehden has many old houses and
buildings, still inhabited by the current generation
of the original family, some using the stones of the
pagan temple. The old souk (market place) is a popular
destination for visitors to Ehden, who can see the
work of the local artisana.
Beside its many historic churches, monasteries and
buildings, Ehden has throughout its history contributed
to the religious, political and culture life of Lebanon.
It has produced religious leaders, academicians, nationalist
leaders, artists and presidents. Among them are Patriarch
Youhanna Makhlouf 1608-1633) Maronite Patriarch; Patriarch
George Oumayra, (1633-1644), Maronite Patriarch, called
the “Light of the Oriental” being an expert
on Orient languages; Gibrael Al Sahyouni (1577 –1648),
academic, author of a polyglot bible, official translator
to King Louis XIII of France, his statue stands in
Ehden; Patriarch Stephane Doueihi (1630-1704), maronite
patriarch and considered to be the “father of
Maronite history”; Germanos Farhat (1670 –
1732), author of a influential book on Arabic grammar;
Youssef Bey Karam (1823 – 1889), Lebanese nationalist,
his body lies in St George’s Church, and his
statue nearby is a landmark of Ehden; Saliba Doueihi
(1909-1994) world renown artist; President Sleiman
Kabalan Frangieh (1910- 1992), President of Lebanon;
President Rene Mouawad (1925-1989), President of Lebanon.
Ehden is not only a place of history it is also a
place of today. Tourists are welcomed and well provided
for with hotels, restaurants and café trotoire’s.
In the centre of Ehden is the Al Midan, a square,
wherein lies many cafés, bars and nightclubs.
In the cool of the evening under the stars café
society continues late into the early morning. The
lingua franca of Ehden is French, English, Portuguese
and Spanish, evidence of the Lebanese Diaspora. During
the summer there are cultural and eco tourist activities
such as painting exhibitions, film festival and nature
treks. It is also known for its traditional dishes
such as the meat dish, Kibbeh Nayyeh and salad, tabbouleh,
which has become internationally famous and part of
the world’s cuisine.
For the visitor, Ehden is ideally placed for other
tourist centres, the Horsh Ehden (meaning the Forest
of Ehden), a nature reserve; the Qozhaya Valley (Holy
Valley), which has cave chapels, monasteries and hermitages.
The Monastery of St Anthony the Great, possesses the
first printing press in the Middle East, installed
in 1584; Kornet al Sawda (Black Horn) Middle East’s
highest mountain (3088 metres above sea level [10,132
feet]) and the Cedars, where the last cedars of a
great cedar forest can be seen, which becomes a skiing
resort in winter.
Ehden is a place where the seasons of the year are
distinct, with their own colours, rhythms and customs.
Traditionally the people of Ehden, having settled
Zgharta in the 16th Century and which is now the administrative
centre of the district, use to come down to its sister
town at autumn time for the warmer winter weather.
Returning to Ehden in the early summer to enjoy its
cooler climate. These days with better road communications,
Ehden enjoys an increasing winter season, with many
snow sport activities.
As another citizen of Ehden, Jawad Boulos (1900-1982),
founder member of the Lebanese Academy, said “Ehden
brings energy to my body and clarity to my mind and
pleasure to my soul”.
Ehden is a place where you meet history and enjoy
what is best in Lebanon.
(Authorship: zgharta.com)
- Village of Ehden: >> View
Movie << (2005-09-01)
- Village of Ehden: >> View
Movie << (2005-09-01)
- Ehden Al Midan: >> View
Movie << (2005-09-01)
- Ehden Al Midan 2: >> View
Movie << (2005-09-01)
- Ehden Forest: >> View
Movie << (2010-07-01)
- Ehden Forest 2: >> View
Movie << (2014-05-01)
- Church Our Lady of Al-Hosn: >>
View Movie
<< (2014-10-01)
