Akkar District
Encyclopedia
Akkar is a district
(Qadaa
) in the North Governorate
, Lebanon
. It covers an area of 788 km² (304.2 sq mi) and has a population of 198,174. The capital lies at Halba
.
The district is characterized by the presence of a relatively large coastal plain
, with high mountains to the east. Akkar had been governed during the last 400 years by the Emir
s and the beik
s of the Merheb family. After the civil war this was no longer the case as peasants took over the land with the aid of syrian troops during the civil war. The largest cities in Akkar are Halba
, al-Bireh
(previously called "Biret el Hokem" where we find the Castle of Merheb Family), Kobayat
(Quobayet).
Akkar has many important Roman and Arabic archaeological sites. One of the most famous archaeological sites and the birth place of the Emperor Alexander Severus
, is the Tell
of Arqa
near the town of Miniara
.
Muslim
s then Greek Orthodox Christians
. Maronites
inhabit the area in fairly large numbers, moreover, this region has the largest population of Alawi
tes in Lebanon. Melkite
s or Greek Catholics are also present in small numbers in the region.
Districts of Lebanon
The governorates of Lebanon are divided into 25 districts . The Beirut Governorate is not subdivided. Beirut Governorate*BeirutMount Lebanon Governorate*Baabda...
(Qadaa
Qadaa
Kaza or caza , meaning "jurisdiction" and often translated "district," is a term for a second-level administrative division in Iraq and Lebanon and for a third-level administrative division in Jordan and the former Ottoman Empire....
) 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...
, 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...
. It covers an area of 788 km² (304.2 sq mi) and has a population of 198,174. The capital lies at Halba
Halba
Halba is the capital of Akkar District in North Governorate, Lebanon, close to the border with Syria. It is located at around .The population in Halba is majority Muslim Sunnah, and minority Christian Greek Orthodox and Christian Maronites....
.
The district is characterized by the presence of a relatively large coastal plain
Coastal plain
A coastal plain is an area of flat, low-lying land adjacent to a seacoast and separated from the interior by other features. One of the world's longest coastal plains is located in eastern South America. The southwestern coastal plain of North America is notable for its species diversity...
, with high mountains to the east. Akkar had been governed during the last 400 years by the Emir
Emir
Emir , meaning "commander", "general", or "prince"; also transliterated as Amir, Aamir or Ameer) is a title of high office, used throughout the Muslim world...
s and the beik
Bey
Bey is a title for chieftain, traditionally applied to the leaders of small tribal groups. Accoding to some sources, the word "Bey" is of Turkish language In historical accounts, many Turkish, other Turkic and Persian leaders are titled Bey, Beg, Bek, Bay, Baig or Beigh. They are all the same word...
s of the Merheb family. After the civil war this was no longer the case as peasants took over the land with the aid of syrian troops during the civil war. The largest cities in Akkar are Halba
Halba
Halba is the capital of Akkar District in North Governorate, Lebanon, close to the border with Syria. It is located at around .The population in Halba is majority Muslim Sunnah, and minority Christian Greek Orthodox and Christian Maronites....
, al-Bireh
Al-Bireh
al-Bireh or el-Bira is a Palestinian city adjacent to Ramallah in the central West Bank, north of Jerusalem. It is situated on the central ridge running through the West Bank and is above sea level, covering an area of...
(previously called "Biret el Hokem" where we find the Castle of Merheb Family), Kobayat
Kobayat
Al Qoubaiyat Al Qoubaiyat Al Qoubaiyat (Arabic: القبيات; is the biggest Christian village in Akkar District of North Governorate, Lebanon. All its population are Maronites numbering around 12000 persons according to the civil state registers. (among them were 8300 registered voters in 1992)...
(Quobayet).
Akkar has many important Roman and Arabic archaeological sites. One of the most famous archaeological sites and the birth place of the Emperor Alexander Severus
Alexander Severus
Severus Alexander was Roman Emperor from 222 to 235. Alexander was the last emperor of the Severan dynasty. He succeeded his cousin Elagabalus upon the latter's assassination in 222, and was ultimately assassinated himself, marking the epoch event for the Crisis of the Third Century — nearly fifty...
, is the Tell
Tell
A tell or tel, is a type of archaeological mound created by human occupation and abandonment of a geographical site over many centuries. A classic tell looks like a low, truncated cone with a flat top and sloping sides.-Archaeology:A tell is a hill created by different civilizations living and...
of Arqa
Arqa
Arqa is a village near Miniara in Akkar District of the North Governorate in Lebanon, 22 km northeast of Tripoli, near the coast...
near the town of Miniara
Miniara
MINIARA is a village in the Mouhafazah of Akkar, North Lebanon, 9 kilometers east of the Mediterranean Sea, and 3 kilometers south of Halba. The population is between 7,000 and 10,000...
.
Demographics
The inhabitants of the Akkar region are largely SunniSunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites....
Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s then Greek Orthodox Christians
Greek Orthodox Church
The Greek Orthodox Church is the body of several churches within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity sharing a common cultural tradition whose liturgy is also traditionally conducted in Koine Greek, the original language of the New Testament...
. Maronites
Maronite Church
The Syriac Maronite Church of Antioch is an Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with the Holy See of Rome . It traces its heritage back to the community founded by Maron, a 4th-century Syriac monk venerated as a saint. The first Maronite Patriarch, John Maron, was elected in the late 7th...
inhabit the area in fairly large numbers, moreover, this region has the largest population of Alawi
Alawi
The Alawis, also known as Alawites, Nusayris and Ansaris are a prominent mystical and syncretic religious group centred in Syria who are a branch of Shia Islam.-Etymology:...
tes in Lebanon. Melkite
Melkite
The term Melkite, also written Melchite, refers to various Byzantine Rite Christian churches and their members originating in the Middle East. The word comes from the Syriac word malkāyā , and the Arabic word Malakī...
s or Greek Catholics are also present in small numbers in the region.