Before
this veritable flood of building and unplanned urbanism,
old Amsheet, the “Hill of Sands”, four hundred feet
above sea level, stood out in graceful beauty on
a promontory facing the sea, dominating the coastal
plain that swept in a wide arc between the river
Nahr ed-Djej and the valley of Beeshta. Amsheet
is visible from afar, with its palm trees and the
red tiles of the Saint Michael Hospice, which was
the first hospital in Lebanon. Etymologically, the
name Amsheet is derived from the Syriac Oomo sheeto,
which means the Tribe of Sheet, third son of Adam.
However there are some who say that the name comes
from the Aramaic Aamaash, which means to plunge,
for the town stands over the sea. Enjoying picturesque
beauty, a mild climate and the charm of very ancient
buildings unique in the region, Amsheet has also
been given the name Al-Arouss, the Beautiful Bride.
As well as all the ancient remains, including those
of Phoenician and Roman temples, one finds here
no less than twenty-four churches and chapels. Some
of these, like the Saint George and Saint Sophia
churches, were built with stones from the old pagan
sanctuaries. As for Mar Zakhia (Saint Nicholas)
this was built in the fourth century and later the
Maronite Patriarch Jeremiah of Amsheet lived in
a hermitage in its basement before being elected
to the patriarchate of Antioch in 1199.
The eminent historian Ernest Renan stayed in Amsheet
for the first time in 1860 with his wife Cornélie
and his sister Henriette. Henriette Renan died in
the town and lies in a the private sepulcher of
her hosts, the Zakhia family, in front of the Church
of Our Lady, near therefore to the church of the
village she loved so much.
There is a school of the Marist Brothers and other
cultural centers which have given the country writers,
intellectuals, poets, churchmen and doctors. The
better-off inhabitants of the town have acquired
much land in neighboring villages and along the
coast.
The town has several priories and convents, the
residence of the “Moutran” or bishop of the district,
St. Michael’s Hospital and a number of banks ensuring
all the modern amenities. It used to be the town
of certain “Beys”, bearers of a Turkish title of
distinction.
To the north-east one may perceive the residence
or “palace” of Assaad Bey Lahoud, which attracts
the attention of all who pass. It is of Greco-Byzantine-Arab
architecture inspired by the summer residence of
the Ottoman sultan at Yeldez.
It was the administrator Assaad Bey who chose this
structure when he was member of the Council of Mount
Lebanon and ambassador to the Council of the Sublime
Porte towards the end of the nineteenth century.
The building of this palace took seven years. Two
architects were called on for its construction,
one French and the other Italian. The master craftsmen,
stone masons, were from the Assouf family of Khonshara.
In a large rock they hewed out a reservoir, a “well”,
which can contain 1,200 cubic meters of water, as
many metric tons. The Byzantine style of the windows,
openings and “bulls-eyes” (small round windows near
the ceilings) was considered by the old Greeks to
bring good fortune.
The rose windows formed of twelve semi-circles,
according to the number of months in a year, are
of Greco-Roman conception. The main entry is also
in the form of trefoil. The base of the structure,
known as the Lion Door, is formed of two massive
stones inscribed in Greek. Arab motifs run down
the high windows, recalling those to be seen in
mosques.
The rooms are duplex, large halls following the
old conception. The walls of the palace are weathered
by time. Begun in 1882, it gives an impression of
antiquity, even of a house practically abandoned,
although its inhabitants are still alive and well,
generous, welcoming and hospitable. While there
are dozens of other houses with roots deeper in
the history of Amsheet that invite a visit, the
Lahoud Palace stands out as a real museum in harmony
with its fairylike environment, attracting us, impressing
us and urging us to approach.
Joseph Matar - Translation from the French:
K.J. Mortimer
- Assaad Bey Lahoud Palace - Exterior: >>
View Movie <<
(2011-10-15)
- Assaad Bey Lahoud Palace - Interior: >>
View Movie
<< (2011-10-15)
