Nahr al-Kalb

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The Nahr al-Kalb (Arabic: نهر الكلب‎) (Rendered in English Al-Kalb River, but translated Dog River) is a river in Lebanon. It runs for 19 miles from a spring near the Jeita Grotto to the Mediterranean Sea.

Contents 1 Historical significance 2 See also 3 References 4 External links

[edit] Historical significance

A 14th century BC treaty, concluded by Ramses II, set the Nahr al-Kalb as the border between Egypt and the possessions of the Hittites.

Past generals and conquerors have traditionally built monuments at the mouth of the Nahr al-Kalb. Ramses II, Nebuchadnezzar, Esarhaddon, Marcus Aurelius, and even armies from modern-day France and Great Britain have engaged in this practice. In 1946, a monument was erected in celebration of Lebanon’s independence, which came in 1943. In 2000, Lebanese demonstrators, including supporters of ex-general and current politician Michel Aoun, unsuccessfully attempted to erect two new monuments, one marking the departure of Israeli troops from Lebanon, and the other anticipating the withdrawal of Syrian forces.

In 2005, a commemorative stela at the river was listed in the UNESCO Memory of the World initiative.

[edit] See also

• Jeita Grotto

[edit] References

• Encyclopedia Britannica article
• Jewish Encyclopedia article on Phoenicia
• Free Lebanon newspaper article on the 2000 demonstrations
• Lebanese-American Association description
• 2000 report on Lebanon’s human rights practices

[edit] External links

• Pictures of some of the monuments at the river’s mouth