Kabelias (Wadi Ed Delm [The upper south western part close to Ain Dara

Ain Dara

Ain Dara is a village about 30 km from Beirut, in the governorate of Mount Lebanon, in the Aley District.Ain Dara Municipality has an area of 2,586 hectares , with a population of approximately 8000 persons...

]) is a municipality in Zahle District

Zahle District

Zahle District is an administrative district in the Beqaa Governorate of the Republic of Lebanon.The people of Zahle district are almost entirely Christian, it is the capital of the Biqa region in Lebanon, with a district population of around 500,000. About half of the people are maronites, 25 %...

, 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...

. Kabelias is 15 kilometers from Zahleh and 45 kilometers (27.963 mi) from the capital 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...

. Its elevations is 950 meters (3116.95 ft) above sea level. Its area is approximately 32 km².

Importance

Kabelias is the third largest city in the Beqaa valley

Beqaa Valley

The Beqaa Valley is a fertile valley in east Lebanon. For the Romans, the Beqaa Valley was a major agricultural source, and today it remains Lebanon’s most important farming region...

, after Zahleh and Baalbeck in terms of area size and geography.

Name

Kabelias was originally called by a Phoenician name, but later changed to be called Kaber Elias ("The grave of Elias"). This was due to the belief that the prophet Elijah was buried in the village. The name was later shortened to Kabelias.

Local governance

The municipality has a municipal council elected for 6 years. Its has administrative and financial independence but remains under the control and supervision of the central government.

Population

It is estimated that 55000 residents live in Kabelias as of 2008, spread along several parts as follows. Kabelias Fawka, Kabelias Tahta, Wadi El Delm, Farm of Bmohreyh, Bahsasa. In the municipal Lebanese elections of 2004, it counted 14,602 registered voters, of which 8771 voted.

Prince Fakhreddin II Castle Ruins

It is believed that this castle was one of the largest castles in the Beqaa valley

Beqaa Valley

The Beqaa Valley is a fertile valley in east Lebanon. For the Romans, the Beqaa Valley was a major agricultural source, and today it remains Lebanon’s most important farming region...

, it is also thought to have been built by the Druze Prince Fakhreddin II (فخر الدين الثاني) and he chose its location for the height and good defense against the opposing Ottomans

Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...

. The castle was eventually destroyed by the Ottomans, but the ruins remain.

The Haidara Ruin

These ruins are believed to date back to the Roman Empire's presence in Lebanon. According to local legend, there was once a mirror on the face of the building, used to reflect sunlight down into the village, related to sun-worshipping Roman practices.

Sources

• http://www.localiban.org/spip.php?article3745
• http://www.Kabelias.org
• Municipality of Kabelias - Wadi El Delm