Jezzine

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Jezzine
جزين
UTC+3 (EEST
)

Jezzine (

South Lebanon. The town is also well-known in Lebanon for its production of handmade, traditional cutlery and daggers with decorative inlays, artisanal wine, and the shrine of Our Lady of the Waterfall
.

Demography

The number of inhabitatnts in Jezzine is about 16 thousand.[2] The inhabitants of Jezzine are mainly Maronite and Melkite Christians.[3]

Culture

Festivals

The Feast of the

Assumption of the Virgin Mary is celebrated on August 15 of each year with grand religious and cultural festivities. The Jezzine Summer Festival also attracts music acts and hundreds of people and tourists each summer.[citation needed
]

Libraries

The Jezzine Public Library was built in 1960 and underwent refurbishment and reorganization in 2004.

Theatres

Empire Jezzine, the local movie theatre, plays Hollywood and Lebanese films. (Permanently closed)

Economy

Agriculture

The production of pine nuts is the main agriculture product of Bkassine, the neighbor of Jezzine, as this village has the largest pine field in the Middle East.

Handcrafts
Jezzine cutlery

Jezzine is known for its handcrafted knives and other cutlery, made of inlaid mosaics and bone. The cutlery has been presented as gifts to dignitaries all over the world as a memento of Lebanon.[citation needed] The first family who produced this cutlery is the el Haddad family and started the company in 1770. The latest was Samir Haddad, who died 28 January 2015 at the age of 84. He was praised for his skills and art by many people.[4]

Tourism

Jezzine is a summer resort in

South Lebanon. The town is located on the slopes of Tumat Niha and its landscape features pine-forested valleys and mountain summits, vineyards, orchards, ponds, and waterfalls. The town is known as the "City of Falls" because of its waterfalls, the Jezzine Falls.[4]
From the top of the rocky promontory known as al Shir, visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of the surrounding localities.

Emigration

Like most towns on Mount Lebanon, Jezzine has a large and successful diaspora, especially in Latin America and West Africa. For example the Aziz and Slim families have built sizeable businesses in Mexico, as well as the Karam and Wehbe families in West Africa [5]

Attractions

At the entrance of Jezzine, there is "Saydet Jezzine" or "Saydet el-Maabour" (Our Lady of Jezzine) shrine (

Arabic: سيدة المعبور); inside it lies the statue of the Virgin. In 1898, a passageway connecting Jezzine with the coastal cities and Sidon
was built. In 1955, the Virgin Statue was erected during religions celebrations that occur on August 15, the day of the Virgin's Assumption. On this occasion, the celebrators go around the town till they reach the Virgin's Statue amidst prayers and lit candles.

The town overlooks a cliff of 40 meters high. At its sides, there are café houses and restaurants overlooking the landscape of Wadi Jezzine, which in turn overlooks green fields. In the center of the town there is the Municipal Palace, which was built according to the Ottoman style in 1898 during the reign of Sultan Abd el Hamid and the "Qaim Maqam" of the district, Saleem Bey Aammoun, at the expense of the municipality.

In Jezzine, there are churches that were built more than 200 years ago.

On the outskirts of the town is St. Maroun Church, which dates back to the 18th century. It was partially destroyed in 1759, and then repaired several times. It is distinguished for its vastness and elevated vaults. Visitors can reach the church via an old flight of stairs from the Old Section of the town.

The churches in Jezzine are:

  • Saydet el-Yanbou' Church (built in 1796): It includes a valuable icon of the Virgin and her Baby, Jesus (painted by the Italian artist "Piarotti"). It is placed on a vaulted marble altar. There are huge columns that support the walls lined with argillaceous and leaden (dull gray) stones.
  • St. Anthony Church (built in the 19th century): it has a central chapel beside which there are two other chapels. It includes 14 lit niches that represent the stages of the Cross Pathway, as well as engravings in the walls which surround the altar.
  • St. Joseph Church (built in 1860): its architecture and vaults have no central columns, and is divided into two parts: The first (for men) is higher than the other part (for women).

South of Jezzine lays Sirhal Palace, a huge building whose architecture is nontraditional. It was built by Dr. Farid Sirhal. The Palace includes spacious rooms topped with perforated glass colored vaults, as well as shapes of engraved water-springs. It is visible from the Ain Majdalein road, but is not open for visitors.[6]

Karam Wines, Southern Lebanon's only winery, owns land in the area where they primarily grow Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.[7]

History

See also: Battle of Jezzine (1941) and Battle of Jezzine (1982)

The name, Jezzine, derives from the

Chouf, the Beqaa Valley, and to Syria.[4]

The

Free French forces, supported by the Royal Australian Air Force, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, fought for Jezzine against Vichy French
forces in 1941.

Julián Slim Haddad (born Khalil Salim Haddad Aglamaz), was born in 1888 in Jezzine. He emigrated to Mexico when he was 14 years old to avoid being conscripted into the Army of the Ottoman Empire. After moving to Mexico City, Julián established a dry goods store, La Estrella de Oriente (The Star of the Orient). One of his sons, Carlos Slim Helú, born on 28 January 1940 in Mexico City, inherited his father's business talent and ultimately became the richest man in the world in 2007.[8]

Following the

IDF patrol in the area killed three more Hizbollah men.[10]

Technically Jezzine was not part of the

Lebanese army into Jezzine, without success. On 29 November two SLA members were killed by a roadside bomb outside Jezzine.[11]

In October 1998 it was reported that the population of Jezzine had fallen from 50,000 to around 3,000.[12]

On 1 June 1999 the

UNIFIL zone. At the time it was estimated that the SLA had only four hundred men.[13]

Landmarks

Notable people


References

  1. ^ Profile of Jezzine - Jezzine - Lebanon - jizzine.com
  2. ^ "الوكالة الوطنية للإعلام - Jezzine fifth highest waterfall in the world". National News Agency. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  3. ^ Rainey, Venetia (11 May 2014). "Lebanon's refugee influx alarms Christians". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
  4. ^ a b c "Jezzine Lebanon". Archived from the original on 12 June 2008. Retrieved 20 February 2007.
  5. ^ Arsan, Andrew. "Interlopers of Empire".
  6. ^ a b "Destination Lebanon - Tourism by Region". Archived from the original on 25 July 2014. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  7. ^ Karam Wines web site
  8. ^ Mehta, Stephanie (6 August 2007). "Carlos Slim, the richest man in the world". Fortune. Retrieved 6 August 2007.
  9. ^ Middle East International No 427, 12 June 1992, Publishers Lord Mayhew, Dennis Walters MP; Jim Muir p.6
  10. ^ Middle East International No 511, 20 October 1995; August chronology p.15
  11. ^ Middle East International No 553, 27 June 1997; Michael Jansen p.9. No 557, 29 August 1997; Michael Jansen p.3. No 558, 12 September 1997; Giles Trendle p.7. No 564, 5 December; Michael Jansen pp.13-14.
  12. ^ Middle Eat International No 584, 2 October 1998; Michael Jansen pp.10-11
  13. ^ Middle East International No 601, 4 June 1999; Michael Jansen pp.6-7

External links

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