Ghabat

Al Ghabat الغابات
Coordinates: 34°04′49″N 35°52′25″E / 34.0803°N 35.8735°E / 34.0803; 35.8735
Country	Lebanon
District	Byblos District
Government
• President of municipality	Bechara Philippe Karkafi [citation needed]
Highest elevation	1,300 m (4,300 ft)
Lowest elevation	1,000 m (3,000 ft)
Population [1]
• Total	600

Ghabat (or Al-Ghabat) is a village in Lebanon located in the Jurd area of the district of Byblos in the Mount Lebanon region, about 74 kilometres northeast of Beirut. Its inhabitants are predominantly Maronite Catholics.^[2]

Al Ghabat has a dry-summer subtropical Mediterranean climate with moderate weather throughout the seasons. Summers are hot and dry, while winters are rainy with occasional snow. It is located on the mountains above Byblos at an altitude of 1000 to 1200 metres. It is surrounded by the villages of Afqa and Lassa and is home to 591 people^[1] registered on the electoral list.

Economy

Al Ghabat's main industry is agriculture. The town mainly produces apples, peaches, grapes and vegetables.

History

The name means forests in

Sites to visit

• St. John Maroon parish church
• The ruins and remains of old constructions situated in the Shawiya area.

Ghabat is known mainly for:

• Its abundant water (potable and for irrigation).
• The towering mountains surrounding it (in the
  Shawiya
  ).
• Its location at the mouth of the steep
  Nahr Ibrahim
  river valley.

Demographics

Ghabat's inhabitants are predominantly Maronite Catholics.^[2] The major families of the village are Karkafi, Rahi, Karam, Hatem and Khoueiry.

The first municipal council was elected in 2010. Its current president is Bechara Philippe Karkafi.

Institutions

• Municipal Council
• Mayor Council
• Agricultural Cooperative.

Notable people

• Rima Bechara Philip Karkafi, a former television presenter on Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International LBCI, married to politician
  Suleiman Frangieh, Jr. She is the founder and president of Al Midan a non-governmental, non-profit organization, organizing annual cultural and international festival Ehdeniyat. ^{[citation needed}
  ]
• Bechara Maurice Karkafi, the general director of the bureau of Land Management & Cadastre in the
  Hadi Hobeiche
  .