Hasroun is the village of a thousand red roofs.
From afar the village of Hasroun draws the eye of
visitors by reason of its red-tiled roofs nestling
in the verdure or wreathed in mist at an altitude
of some 1420 meters (4500 feet), 107km from Beirut
and 45 from Tripoli. It is a large Maronite village
spectacularly perched on a jutting cliff soaring
over the Holy Valley, just a little lower than Bekaa
Kafra, the village of Saint Sharbel Makhlouf.
The name is of Phoenician origin and means the fortress,
one to which many invaders have laid siege over
the ages, always in vain. The inhabitants are to
be found in Beirut, on the coast and in Hasroun
itself, but in summer all come together. As well
as the coppices of oak, cedar and trees of other
kinds, there are orchards of apple, cherry, pear
and plum trees. Agriculture is carried on between
March and October, the snow and the cold making
this impossible during the winter. There are a number
of restaurants, hotels and summer residences. The
climate could not be bettered, the countryside charming
and picturesque and the local people hospitable.
A convent of nuns, schools, a club, a municipal
center and all the requirements of a town function
with an up-to-date infrastructure, including clinics
and dispensaries. Sauntering through the old souk
(bazaar) and the historic part of the village will
lead one to much of interest. Several churches draw
the crowds of faithful, St. Michael’s, St. James’
and others, not forgetting the old monastery of
St. Simon.
This impregnable fortress village provided a refuge
for the Maronites persecuted by invaders, with deep
ravines on one side and lofty snow-clad peaks on
the other, everywhere steep cliffs and a harsh rocky
landscape. Hasroun is considered one of the most
beautiful summer resorts in Lebanon in view of its
situation, its climate, its valleys, its caves,
its monasteries and convents, and its woodlands.
Several of Lebanon’s most prominent families have
come from Hasroun.
Hasroun, “the rose of the mountain”, called by Lamartine
a “bouquet of roses”, strikes a note of brilliant
color in a scene of rich verdure and purplish soil.
One sees a thousand red-roofed dwellings, mostly
longstanding with stone façades wreathed
with vines, fruit trees and flowers watered by springs
that bubble through its alleys. There is the Awad
Hotel where General de Gaulle himself put up during
a visit to Lebanon.
The village is clean and well-kept, with a ban enforced
on sticking up public notices and advertisements.
The World Bank has offered help for restoring the
walls of the village and the Papal Nunciature has
offered help for the construction of a lake holding
60,000 cubic meters of water to supply the needs
of agriculture. Haroun remains one of the most beautiful
villages in Lebanon.
William
MATTAR
- Village
of Hasroun: >> View
Movie << (2010-01-15)
