Bteghrine is a
municipalityA municipality is an administrative entity composed of a clearly defined territory and its population and commonly denotes a city, town, or village, or a small grouping of them. A municipality is typically governed by a mayor and a city council or municipal council.The notion of municipality...
in the
Matn DistrictMatn , sometimes spelled Metn, is a district in the Mount Lebanon Governorate of Lebanon, east of the Lebanon's capital Beirut...
of the
Mount Lebanon GovernorateMount Lebanon is one of the Governorates of Lebanon. Its capital is Baabda. The overwhelming majority of its population is Maronites, Greek Orthodox, and Melkite Greek Catholic Christians...
of
LebanonLebanon , officially the Republic of Lebanon
[Republic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies...]
.
The exact origin of the name
Bteghrine is unknown, but possibilities include
Place of Warriors,
Place of Rocks, and
House of the Saddest - references to a large battle in the area around 1290 that resulted in thousands of deaths. This date corresponds closely with the end of
Christian ruleThe Ninth Crusade, which is sometimes grouped with the Eighth Crusade, is commonly considered to be the last major medieval Crusade to the Holy Land. It took place in 1271–1272....
in the region and the rise of the Mamluks – a period which saw numerous battles in the area, including a 1291 rebellion by the Shi'a and
DruzeThe Druze are a religious community found primarily in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan, whose traditional religion is said to have begun as an offshoot of Islam, but is unique in its incorporation of Gnostic, neo-Platonic and other philosophies, similar to other followers of Ismaili Shi'a...
against the Mamluks in
KeserwanKeserwan is a district in the Mount Lebanon Governorate , Lebanon, to the northeast of the Lebanon's capital Beirut...
, the district on the northern border of the
MatnMatn , sometimes spelled Metn, is a district in the Mount Lebanon Governorate of Lebanon, east of the Lebanon's capital Beirut...
.
Bteghrine is located at .
Bteghrine is a
municipalityA municipality is an administrative entity composed of a clearly defined territory and its population and commonly denotes a city, town, or village, or a small grouping of them. A municipality is typically governed by a mayor and a city council or municipal council.The notion of municipality...
in the
Matn DistrictMatn , sometimes spelled Metn, is a district in the Mount Lebanon Governorate of Lebanon, east of the Lebanon's capital Beirut...
of the
Mount Lebanon GovernorateMount Lebanon is one of the Governorates of Lebanon. Its capital is Baabda. The overwhelming majority of its population is Maronites, Greek Orthodox, and Melkite Greek Catholic Christians...
of
LebanonLebanon , officially the Republic of Lebanon
[Republic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies...]
.
Etymology
The exact origin of the name
Bteghrine is unknown, but possibilities include
Place of Warriors,
Place of Rocks, and
House of the Saddest - references to a large battle in the area around 1290 that resulted in thousands of deaths. This date corresponds closely with the end of
Christian ruleThe Ninth Crusade, which is sometimes grouped with the Eighth Crusade, is commonly considered to be the last major medieval Crusade to the Holy Land. It took place in 1271–1272....
in the region and the rise of the Mamluks – a period which saw numerous battles in the area, including a 1291 rebellion by the Shi'a and
DruzeThe Druze are a religious community found primarily in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan, whose traditional religion is said to have begun as an offshoot of Islam, but is unique in its incorporation of Gnostic, neo-Platonic and other philosophies, similar to other followers of Ismaili Shi'a...
against the Mamluks in
KeserwanKeserwan is a district in the Mount Lebanon Governorate , Lebanon, to the northeast of the Lebanon's capital Beirut...
, the district on the northern border of the
MatnMatn , sometimes spelled Metn, is a district in the Mount Lebanon Governorate of Lebanon, east of the Lebanon's capital Beirut...
.
Geography
Bteghrine is located at . It is bordered by
Mount SannineMount Sannine is a mountain in the Mount Lebanon range. Its highest point is 2,628 m above sea level.- External links :*...
to the east, Wadi el-Jamajem to the north, Jiwar to the west, and Khonchara to the south. The municipality is composed of seven neighborhoods and four outlying areas.
Neighborhoods
- Haret al-Ain
- Haret al-Dara
- Haret al-Shahara
- Haret al-Shawyee
- Haret al-Ssaha
- Haret al-Wata
- Haret Ali
- haret al asfourieh
Outlying areas
- Bsefrine
- Meisree
- Sabourta
- Zaarour
Water
There are several
springsA spring is any natural occurrence where water flows on to the surface of the earth from below the surface, and is thus where the aquifer surface meets the ground surface.- Formation :...
used for both
drinking waterDrinking water or potable water is water of sufficiently high quality that it can be consumed or used without risk of immediate or long term harm...
and agriculutural purposes in Bteghrine. The four primary springs are Aassal, Manboukh, Mir, and Sparta.
Agriculture
Bteghrine is situated on a rocky hillside, but supports a thriving, self-sufficient agriculture. Most of the land within the city and the surrounding hills, including the Meisree and Bsefrine districts, was fully
terracedIn agriculture, a terrace is a leveled section of a hill cultivated area, designed as a method of soil conservation to slow or prevent the rapid surface runoff of irrigation water. Often such land is formed into multiple terraces, giving a stepped appearance...
to make it more suited for planting. The most common fruits and vegetables grown in Bteghrine are:
figsFIGS is an acronym for French, Italian, German, Spanish. These are usually the first four languages chosen to localize products into when a company enters the European market....
,
grapeA grape is the non-climacteric fruit, botanically a true berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, and grape seed oil...
s,
mulberryMorus or Mulberry is a genus of 10–16 species of deciduous trees native to warm temperate and subtropical regions of Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas, with the majority of the species native to Asia....
, plums,
appleThe apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family Rosaceae. It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits...
s,
peachThe peach is known as a species of Prunus native to China that bears an edible juicy fruit also called a peach. It is a deciduous tree growing to 4–10 m tall, belonging to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae...
es,
persimmonA persimmon, known to the ancient Greeks as "the fruit of the gods" is the edible fruit of a number of species of trees of the genus Diospyros in the ebony wood family...
,
pomegranateThe pomegranate is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub or small tree growing to between five and eight meters tall. The pomegranate is native to Southwest Asia and has been cultivated in the Caucasus since ancient times...
,
cherriesThe cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus Prunus. It is a fleshy fruit that contains a single stony seed. The cherry fruits of commerce are usually obtained from a limited number of species, including especially cultivars of the wild cherry, Prunus avium.The name 'cherry', often as the...
,
tomatoThe tomato is a herbaceous, usually sprawling plant in the Solanaceae or nightshade family that is typically cultivated for the purpose of harvesting its fruit for human consumption...
es,
cucumberThe cucumber is a widely cultivated plant in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae, which includes squash, and in the same genus as the muskmelon.- Botany :...
,
parsleyParsley is a bright green biennial herb, often used as spice. It is common in Middle Eastern, European, and American cooking...
,
mintMentha is a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae . Species within Mentha have a subcosmopolitan distribution across Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and North America. Several mint hybrids commonly occur.Mints are aromatic, almost exclusively perennial, rarely...
,
wheatWheat is a worldwide cultivated grass from the Fertile Crescent region of the Near East. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
, and
beanBean is a common name for large plant seeds of several genera of the family Fabaceae used for human food or animal feed....
s. Small shops in the town process much of the local
produceProduce is a generalized term for a group of farm-produced goods, not limited to fruit and vegetables. More specifically, the term "produce" often implies that the products are fresh and generally in the same state as where they were harvested. In supermarkets the term is also used to refer to the...
into arak,
molassesMolasses is a viscous byproduct of the processing of sugar cane or sugar beets into sugar. The word molasses comes from the Portuguese word melaço, which ultimately comes from mel, the Latin word for "honey". The quality of molasses depends on the maturity of the sugar cane or sugar beet, the...
,
wineWine is an alcoholic beverage typically made of fermented grape juice. The natural chemical balance of grapes is such that they can ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes or other nutrients. Wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast consumes...
, and preserves.
Economy
The
Saliba Nail and Screw factory is the largest single plant in Bteghrine. Additionally, the town has a large number of small shops for blacksmithing, woodworking, car repair and bodywork, leather tailoring, and aluminum manufacturing. The city also enjoys a full set of services including three gas stations, a supermarket, dry cleaner, several specialty and general stores, a large bakery, several bookstores, several clinics, many restaurants, and one hotel. Bteghrine also hosts the central telephone station for the upper Metn region.
Education
There is one public school in the town named Bteghrine Public School, and one private
CatholicThe word Catholic is derived from the Greek adjective , meaning "universal". In the context of Christian ecclesiology, it has a rich history and several usages. For some, the term "Catholic Church" refers to the church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, made up of the Latin Rite and the 22...
school.
Religion
The inhabitants of Bteghrine are almost all Christians, predominantly Greek Orthodox and
Melkite Greek Catholicstyle="float: right;"|- |The Melkite Greek Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic sui juris particular Church in full union with the Roman Catholic Church. The church's origins lie in the Near East, but, today, Melkite Catholics are spread throughout the world. At present there is a worldwide...
.
Churches
- St. George – Greek Orthodox.
- St. Michael – Greek Orthodox.
- St. Elias – Greek Orthodox.
- Notre Dame – Greek Catholic.
Famous Bteghrineites
- Elias Murr
Elias Murr is the current Lebanese Defense Minister and Deputy Prime Minister . He held the positions of Deputy Prime minister and Interior Minister in previous Cabinets....
– LebaneseLebanon , officially the Republic of Lebanon
[Republic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies...]
Deputy Prime MinisterA Deputy Prime Minister or Vice Prime Minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting Prime Minister when the Prime Minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, but is significantly different, though both...
and Defense Minister
- Gabrielle Bou Rached
Gabrielle Bou Rached, born 13 December 1985,Bteghrine is a model and former Miss Lebanon.Her modeling career included two video clips for famous Arab singers. In addition two commercials, and many fashion shows....
– Miss Lebanon.Miss Lebanon - Lebanon's Official National Beauty Pageant is a beauty contest in Lebanon.Miss Lebanon is the only national beauty contest that awards prizes worth more than half a million US dollars to its winners...
2005
- George Hawi
George Hawi was a Lebanese politician and former secretary general of the Lebanese Communist Party . He was assassinated in 2005.-Background:...
– former Secretary General of the Lebanese Communist PartyThe Lebanese Communist Party is a communist political party in Lebanon, founded in 1924 by the Lebanese intellectual, writer and reporter Youssef Ibrahim Yazbek, and Fou'ad al-shmeli a tobacco worker from Bikfaya.- Creation :The Lebanese Communist Party was officially founded on October 24, 1924, in...
, assassinated June 21, 2005 by a bomb planted under his car
- Greg Simon (Saliba) – current President of the Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790...
based think tankA think tank is an organization, institute, corporation, or group that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economy, science or technology issues, industrial or business policies, or military advice...
FasterCures, Chief Domestic Policy Advisor to former Vice PresidentThe Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people through the Electoral College to a four-year term...
Al GoreAlbert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. is an American environmental activist and former politician who served as the 45th Vice President of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. He is an author, businessperson, former U.S. Senator and former journalist...
from 1993 to 1997
- Michel Murr
Michel Murr is a Lebanese politician and businessman. He first occupied the post of Minister of the Interior, as well as being Deputy Prime Minister in Rafik Hariri's first cabinet in 1992 and remained in the post in all subsequent cabinets formed by Hariri, except the last one, in which his son,...
– former LebaneseLebanon , officially the Republic of Lebanon
[Republic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies...]
Minister of the Interior
- Antonious Saliba - Orthodox Priest in the 1800s who has had miracles attributed to them. Currently in process for sainthood.
- Naseeb Saliba
Nasseb Michael Saliba was a construction mogul and philanthropist. He was born in 1915 in Ozark, Alabama to Lebanese immigrants, and later moved to Los Angeles, California with his family. In 1942, he founded N.M. Saliba Co., which became one of the most successful heavy construction companies on...
- Co-founder of the Tutor-Saliba CorporationThe Tutor-Saliba Corporation is a building contractor and heavy civil works construction company. In 2008, it was ranked the 37th largest general contractor in the United States by Engineering News-Record....
, one of the largest construction companies in the United States. Responsible for the construction of LAX, SFO, The Olympic Stadium in Los Angeles, among many others major United States landmarks.
- George A. Saliba - CTO of multi-billion dollar Quantum Corp.
Quantum Corporation was a manufacturer of tape drive, tape automation, data deduplication storage products and scalable file storage software, based in San Jose, California...
Currently has over 100 patents (published or in process) and is internationally recognized as an industry pioneer and inventor in data storage.
- Gabriel Murr
Gabriel Murr is a Lebanese Politician and is the owner of Murr Television and Mount Lebanon Radio Station, which were forcefully shut down in September 2002...
– former LebaneseLebanon , officially the Republic of Lebanon
[Republic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies...]
Minister of the Interior (July 26 1948 – October 10 1949)
External links