Beqaa Valley
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Beqaa, or Bekaa, (Arabic: البقاع, lit. "valley") is a fertile valley in east Lebanon. The Romans called the Beqaa Valley, "the Breadbasket of the Empire," and today it remains Lebanon’s most important farming region.[1]
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[edit] Geography
The Beqaa (also Bekaa or Al Biqâ‘ or Becaa) is a fertile valley in Lebanon, located about 30 km (about 19 miles) east of Beirut. The valley is situated between the Mount Lebanon to the west and the Anti-Lebanon Mountains to the east. It forms the northeastern most extension of the Great Rift Valley, which stretches from Syria through the Red Sea into Africa. Beqaa Valley is about 120 km (about 75 miles) in length and has an average width of about 16 km (about 10 mi). It has a Mediterranean climate of wet, mild winters and dry, warm summers. The region receives limited rainfall, particularly in the north, because the Lebanon Mountains create a rain shadow that blocks precipitation coming from the sea. The northern section has an average annual rainfall of 230 mm (9 inches), compared to 610 mm (24 inches) in the central valley. Two rivers originate in the valley: the Orontes (Asi), which flows north into Syria and Turkey, and the Līţānī, which flows south and then west to the Mediterranean Sea.
From the 1st century BC, when the region was under Roman rule, the Beqaa Valley served as a source of grain for the Roman provinces of the Levant. Today the valley makes up 40 percent of Lebanon's arable land. The northern end of the valley, with its scarce rainfall and less fertile soils, is used primarily as grazing land by pastoral nomads, mostly migrants from the Syrian desert. Farther south, more fertile soils support crops of wheat, corn, cotton, and vegetables, with vineyards and orchards centered around Zahle. The valley also produces hashish and cultivates opium poppies, which are exported illegally. Since 1957 the Litani hydroelectric project, a series of canals and a dam located at Lake Qaraoun in the southern end of the valley, has improved irrigation to farms in Beqaa Valley.
[edit] Districts and Towns
Zahle is the largest city and the administrative capital of the Beqaa Governorate. It lies just north of the main Beirut–Damascus highway, which bisects the valley. The majority of Zahle's residents are Christian Lebanese, including Armenians, Greek Catholics, Maronites, and members of the Greek Orthodox Church. The town of Anjar, situated in the eastern part of the valley, has a predominately Armenian Lebanese population and is also famous for its 8th century Arab ruins. The majority of the inhabitants of the northern districts of Beqaa, Baalbeck and Hermel, are Lebanese Shia with the exception of the town of Deir el Ahmar whose inhabitants are Christians. The western and southern districts of the valley have a mixed population of Sunni, Christian and Druze Lebanese. Due to the wars and Syrian occupation, unstable economic and political condition, and the strong presence of the Hizbullah militia in the Beqaa, many of the inhabitans of the valley have left for the coastal cities of Lebanon or emigrated from the country altogether.
[edit] Landmarks
- The Roman ruins of Baalbeck
- The Umayyad ruins of Anjar
- Our Lady of Bekaa, a Marian shrine located in Zahle with panoramic views of the valley.
- Lebanon's tallest minaret, located in the town of Kherbet Rouha
- The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Bechouat
[edit] Roman ruins in Baalbek
The most noted historic site in the valley is Baalbek, an ancient city named for the Canaanite god Baal. The Romans renamed Baalbek, Heliopolis, and built an impressive complex of temples, including temples to Bacchus, Jupiter, Venus, and the sun. Today, the ruins are the site of the Baalbeck International Festival, which attracts artists and performance groups from around the world.
[edit] Wines of the Beqaa
The Beqaa Valley is Lebanon's most important farming region. It is also home to its world-renowned wineries. Wine making is a tradition that goes back 6,000 years in Lebanon. With an average altitude of 1000 meters above sea level, the valley’s altitude and climate is very suitable to vineyards. Abundant rain in the winter water the young vines while abundance of sunshine in the summer help the grapes ripen easily. There are more than a dozen wineries in the Beqaa Valley, producing over six million bottles a year. [2]
- Château Ksara
- Château Musar
- Château Kfraya
- Domaine de Baal
- Domaine des Tourelles
- Vin Nakad
- Massaya
- Domaine Wardy
- Clos St. Thomas
- Heritage
- Chateau Fakra
- Cave Kouroum
- Château Belle-Vue
- Clos de Cana
- Nabise Mont Liban
- The Karam Winery
- Kfifane
[edit] Guerrilla and Terrorist Organizations
The valley has gained infamy as a training ground for many guerrilla and terrorist organizations, such as the PKK, PLO and Hizbullah. Many of the organizations were also harbored and supported in Syria, which was the de facto supporter of these organizations and the channel by which these organizations found the opportunity to settle in Beqaa.
