Darbechtar

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Coordinates: 34°16′06″N, 35°47′37″E

Darbechtar
داربعشتار
Spectacular view of Darbechtar
Spectacular view of Darbechtar
Location in the Republic of Lebanon
Location in the Republic of Lebanon
Coordinates: 34°16′06″N 35°47′37″E / 34.26833, 35.79361
Country Republic of Lebanon
Governorate North
District El-Koura
Elevation 300 m (984 ft)
Population (2006)
 - City 4,000
 - Metro 2,000
Time zone +2 (UTC)
 - Summer (DST) +3 (UTC)
Website: [Under Construction]
Delicous Grapes
Delicous Grapes

Darbechtar ( known also as Darb Ishtar, Arabic: داربعشتار‎) is a village located on the South-Eastern periphery of the Koura District in the North Governorate of the Republic of Lebanon.

Darbechtar borders the villages of Amyoun, Bziza, Majdel, Kaftoun, and Dar-shmizzine.

The Lebanese hailing from Darbechtar number 10,000 worldwide. 85% of them live outside Lebanon, mainly in Brazil, Australia, and the United States.

The population of Darbechtar is Maronite Catholic.

Contents

[edit] Climate

Darbechtar  : Mediterranean plain village with heavy rains, mild winters and hot dry arid summers.

Min / Max average temperatures in Celsius Degree
Jan (8/16) Feb (9/16) Mar (10/19) Apr (13/22) May (16/25) Jun (19/27) Jul (22/29) Aug (23/30) Sep (20/29) Oct (17/27) Nov (13/22) Dec (10/18)

[edit] Environment

The village is the home of Olive oil production. Theifore most of the village is planted with the ever green Olive Trees along with Grapes, Figs, variety of bushes, plants, and flowers.

The Olive Fruit
The Olive Fruit

[edit] Description of the Olive Tree

The Olive is an evergreen tree or shrub native to the Mediterranean. It is short and squat, and rarely exceeds 8-15 meters in height.

The silvery green leaves are oblong in shape, measuring 4-10 cm long and 1-3 cm wide. The trunk is typically gnarled and twisted.

The small white flowers, with four-cleft calyx and corolla, two stamens and bifid stigma, are borne generally on the last year's wood, in racemes springing from the axils of the leaves.

The fruit is a small drupe 1-2.5 cm long, thinner-fleshed and smaller in wild plants than in orchard cultivars. Olives are harvested at the green stage or left to ripen to a rich purple color(black olive).

The Olive Fruit Harvest
The Olive Fruit Harvest

[edit] Olive oil extraction

Traditionally, olive oil was produced by crushing olives in stone or wooden mortars or beam presses. Nowadays, olives are ground to tiny bits, obtaining a paste that is mixed with water and processed by a centrifuge, which extracts the oil from the paste, leaving behind pomace.

[edit] Uses of the Olive Fruit

Olive Oil is used in cooking, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and soaps, and as a fuel for traditional oil lamps. Olive oil is a healthful oil because of its high content of monounsaturated fat (mainly oleic acid) and polyphenols.

[edit] Etymology

The word, Darbechtar, means the Path of Ishtar. Ishtar is the goddess of fertility, sexual love, and war. It is said that Ishtar used to pass through Darbechtar during her trip to the mountains to spend the summer. Theirfore, the village is known as the Path Way of Ishtar.

[edit] Places of Worship

There are 4 places of Christian worship in Darbechtar mainly Churches:

  • Church of Saint George
  • Church of Saint Elias
  • Church of Saint Chalita
  • Church of our Lady of Saydeh

[edit] Photo Gallery