Arbet Kozhaya
Encyclopedia
Arbet Kozhaya, also known as Arbet Qozhaya or Arabet Kozhaya, is one of the fifty-six towns and villages, which make up the Zgharta District
(Zgharta Zawie) in the North Governorate
of Lebanon
.
, known as the Monastery of Saint Anthony the Great
(Mar Antonios al-Kabir). The monastery is some 950 metres above sea level in the Valley of Kozhaya.
The word Arbet (Aarbet) means inclined, since the village is on an inclined plane overlooking Kozhaya.
The name Kozhaya is Syriac in origin and means the treasure of life, with treasure representing Christ
, for whom the monks of the Monastery abandon worldly goods and follow an ascetic life dedicated to prayer and spirituality; and life referring to the abundance of water endowing nature with life in the valley.
The Kozhaya Valley and the nearby Qannoubine Valley are part of the Qadisha Valley, known also as the Holy Valley. The village lies between 900 and 1,050 metres above sea level and occupies some 2 million square metres, out of which approximatively 500,000 square metres are inhabited and 700,000 square metres under cultivation. It is at a distance of 5 Kilometres from Ehden
, 25 Kilometres from Zgharta
, 30 Kilometres from the Cedars
and 85 Kilometres from Beirut
.
The village church is dedicated to Saint Elias and the Saint’s Feast day is celebrated on the 20th of July. There is a nearby hotel called Hôtel Le Tournant, two small food shops and a medical centre built by the Fayez Mouawad Foundation. There is also a volley ball court built in the beginning of 1990’s by the late Francis Antoun. Freshwater is supplied to the village by two springs one being called Al-Fas´in.
The village has not had a school since the 1980s. The first school opened in the mid 19th Century whose teachers were priests and monks from the Monastery of Saint Anthony the Great
. During the period, 1936–1950, teachers included Kabalan Morcos El Douaihy, Tannous Bakhos, Raphael Khoury and Farid Attieh. The present generation of school children go to nearby schools at Al-Koura, technical college students going to local colleges in the region. Those attending university live away during term time. As historians; first press in the modern history was made by Maronites in Kozhaya area in Lebanon in 1610 AD.
The study shows that the village population was recorded at 294 persons of whom 52.10 % were male and 46.90% were female. The average age was 32 years, with almost half the population under the age of 45.
Of the recorded 82 households in the study, 32 households lived elsewhere in Lebanon and 50 households lived permanently in the village. The study also showed that there were 44 families who emigrated up to 2002 and their destinations were: Australia 16; Canada 11; Venezuela 8; USA 4; France 3; Brazil 2.
Other sites show that in 1849, there were 179 males and 31 households. In 1988 there were 1,031 persons registered and in 1998 there were 977 persons registered. The official 2005 General Election registry for the village accounted for 720 registered voters (355 women and 365 men), including those living away but registered.
In 1998 the Council members, elected for a term of six years,included Michel S. Raffoul (President), Joseph Shehadeh (Vice President), Antoine Francis, Michel Ghassibeh, Mehsen Saadeh Mansour, Antoun Badwi Yousuf, Beshara Za'it. The elected Mukhtar was Antoine M. Bou Daher.
Zgharta District
Zgharta District is a district of the North Governorate, Lebanon.The administrative center is the town of Zgharta. The district has 57 populated areas with 30 municipalities covering 37 villages. Some areas share the same municipality such as Ehden/Zgharta, Kfarsghab/Morh Kfarsghab or...
(Zgharta Zawie) in the North Governorate
North Governorate
North Governorate is one of the governorates of Lebanon. Its capital is Tripoli.-Districts:The North Governorate is divided into districts, or aqdya...
of Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
.
Origin of the name
The village is named after the neighboring Monastery of KozhayaQozhaya
Qozhaya is located in the Zgharta District in the North Governorate of Lebanon. It belongs to the Lebanese Maronite Order, known as Baladites.-Monastery of Saint Anthony of Qozhaya:...
, known as the Monastery of Saint Anthony the Great
Anthony the Great
Anthony the Great or Antony the Great , , also known as Saint Anthony, Anthony the Abbot, Anthony of Egypt, Anthony of the Desert, Anthony the Anchorite, Abba Antonius , and Father of All Monks, was a Christian saint from Egypt, a prominent leader among the Desert Fathers...
(Mar Antonios al-Kabir). The monastery is some 950 metres above sea level in the Valley of Kozhaya.
The word Arbet (Aarbet) means inclined, since the village is on an inclined plane overlooking Kozhaya.
The name Kozhaya is Syriac in origin and means the treasure of life, with treasure representing Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
, for whom the monks of the Monastery abandon worldly goods and follow an ascetic life dedicated to prayer and spirituality; and life referring to the abundance of water endowing nature with life in the valley.
Facts and figures
Ehden
Ehden is a mountainous town situated in the heart of the northern mountains of Lebanon and on the southwestern slopes of Mount Makmal and Kornet el Sawda, the highest peak in Lebanon...
, 25 Kilometres from Zgharta
Zgharta
Zgharta, or Zghorta is a large town in North Lebanon, with an estimated population of around 70,000.Zgharta is about 150 metres above sea level and lies between the rivers of Jouit and Rashein...
, 30 Kilometres from the Cedars
Cedars
Cedars may refer to:* Cedar , several types of tree* Cedars-Sinai Medical Center* The Cedars, Dallas, Texas, a neighborhood near downtown Dallas, Texas, USA* The name of a Virginia mansion, headquarters of The Fellowship Foundation....
and 85 Kilometres from Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
.
The village church is dedicated to Saint Elias and the Saint’s Feast day is celebrated on the 20th of July. There is a nearby hotel called Hôtel Le Tournant, two small food shops and a medical centre built by the Fayez Mouawad Foundation. There is also a volley ball court built in the beginning of 1990’s by the late Francis Antoun. Freshwater is supplied to the village by two springs one being called Al-Fas´in.
The village has not had a school since the 1980s. The first school opened in the mid 19th Century whose teachers were priests and monks from the Monastery of Saint Anthony the Great
Anthony the Great
Anthony the Great or Antony the Great , , also known as Saint Anthony, Anthony the Abbot, Anthony of Egypt, Anthony of the Desert, Anthony the Anchorite, Abba Antonius , and Father of All Monks, was a Christian saint from Egypt, a prominent leader among the Desert Fathers...
. During the period, 1936–1950, teachers included Kabalan Morcos El Douaihy, Tannous Bakhos, Raphael Khoury and Farid Attieh. The present generation of school children go to nearby schools at Al-Koura, technical college students going to local colleges in the region. Those attending university live away during term time. As historians; first press in the modern history was made by Maronites in Kozhaya area in Lebanon in 1610 AD.
Population statistics
This article uses a study undertaken by Joseph El Homsy, who comes from the village. He conducted his study of the village in 2003, based on data for 2001-2002.The study shows that the village population was recorded at 294 persons of whom 52.10 % were male and 46.90% were female. The average age was 32 years, with almost half the population under the age of 45.
Of the recorded 82 households in the study, 32 households lived elsewhere in Lebanon and 50 households lived permanently in the village. The study also showed that there were 44 families who emigrated up to 2002 and their destinations were: Australia 16; Canada 11; Venezuela 8; USA 4; France 3; Brazil 2.
Other sites show that in 1849, there were 179 males and 31 households. In 1988 there were 1,031 persons registered and in 1998 there were 977 persons registered. The official 2005 General Election registry for the village accounted for 720 registered voters (355 women and 365 men), including those living away but registered.
Municipal council
The village elects a municipal council returning nine members and an elected Mukhtar. The current Council’s members, elected in 2004 for a term of six years, are: Badwi Jibrail Mansour (President), Charbel Hanna Touma Boulos (Vice President), Joseph Elias Bechara, Michel Elias Ghassibeh, Mehsen Saadeh Mansour, Elias Edmond Sleiman, Antoun Badwi Yousuf, Mourad Elias Yousuf, Raymond Milad Yousuf. The elected Mukhtar is Antoine M. Bou Daher.In 1998 the Council members, elected for a term of six years,included Michel S. Raffoul (President), Joseph Shehadeh (Vice President), Antoine Francis, Michel Ghassibeh, Mehsen Saadeh Mansour, Antoun Badwi Yousuf, Beshara Za'it. The elected Mukhtar was Antoine M. Bou Daher.