Baabdat
Encyclopedia
Baabdat is a town located in the Matn District
of Mount Lebanon
, 22 km from Beirut
at an altitude ranging between 800 to 1050 meters above sea level. The lush pine forests that surround the town make it a very popular summer resort for those escaping the busy coastal cities of Lebanon, especially the capital, Beirut
. The town's proximity to Brummana
, one of Mount Lebanon's most active summer destinations, makes Baabdat a major tourist destination in the summer.
churches.
of the Aramaic words, beit abdutha, meaning "the home of adoration." The Aramaic name refers to an ancient temple that was built by the Phoenicians to worship the ancient Canaan
ite, Greek and later Roman
gods
.
, Baabdat was the center of wood choppers who transported trees to Beirut for use in ship construction.
, politician Nassib Lahoud
and film director Carmenlabaki and director/actress Nadine Labaki
.
, Maxime Chaya
(the first from his country to climb Everest and ski all-the-way to both poles) moved to Baabdat where he now lives year-long with his children Edgard and Kelly.
, Baabdat is home to numerous, historic churches, monasteries and convents.
Matn District
Matn , sometimes spelled Metn, is a district in the Mount Lebanon Governorate of Lebanon, east of the Lebanon's capital Beirut...
of Mount Lebanon
Mount Lebanon
Mount Lebanon , as a geographic designation, is a Lebanese mountain range, averaging above 2,200 meters in height and receiving a substantial amount of precipitation, including snow, which averages around four meters deep. It extends across the whole country along about , parallel to the...
, 22 km from 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...
at an altitude ranging between 800 to 1050 meters above sea level. The lush pine forests that surround the town make it a very popular summer resort for those escaping the busy coastal cities of Lebanon, especially 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...
. The town's proximity to Brummana
Brummana
Brummana is a town in the Matn District of the Mount Lebanon Governorate in Lebanon. It is located east of Beirut, overlooking the capital and the Mediterranean.-Overview:...
, one of Mount Lebanon's most active summer destinations, makes Baabdat a major tourist destination in the summer.
Demography
The inhabitants of Baabdat are Lebanese and followers of the Maronite Catholic, Roman Catholic and Greek CatholicMelkite
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...
churches.
Etymology
The name "Baabdat" is derivativeDerivative
In calculus, a branch of mathematics, the derivative is a measure of how a function changes as its input changes. Loosely speaking, a derivative can be thought of as how much one quantity is changing in response to changes in some other quantity; for example, the derivative of the position of a...
of the Aramaic words, beit abdutha, meaning "the home of adoration." The Aramaic name refers to an ancient temple that was built by the Phoenicians to worship the ancient Canaan
Canaan
Canaan is a historical region roughly corresponding to modern-day Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, and the western parts of Jordan...
ite, Greek and later Roman
Roman mythology
Roman mythology is the body of traditional stories pertaining to ancient Rome's legendary origins and religious system, as represented in the literature and visual arts of the Romans...
gods
Religions of the Ancient Near East
The religions of the ancient Near East were mostly polytheistic, with some early examples of primitive monolatry , Ashurism and Monism...
.
History
When Lebanon was part of the Roman EmpireRoman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
, Baabdat was the center of wood choppers who transported trees to Beirut for use in ship construction.
Notables from Baabdat
Baabdat is the birthplace of Lebanon's former president, Émile LahoudÉmile Lahoud
General Émile Jamil Lahoud is a former President of Lebanon. Lahoud is a Maronite-Catholic, as is required for the Lebanese presidency. Under Lebanon's unwritten constitutional agreement, the National Pact, the presidency is earmarked for Maronite_Catholic, the parliament speaker's post for a Shia...
, politician Nassib Lahoud
Nassib Lahoud
Nassib Lahoud is a Lebanese-Christian political figure born on 23 November 1944 in Baabdat - Matn, Lebanon. He has held various political posts including Ambassador to the USA, Member of Parliament and Minister of State...
and film director Carmenlabaki and director/actress Nadine Labaki
Nadine Labaki
Nadine Labaki is a Lebanese actress and director. She is one of the well known directors in the Arabic music video industry...
.
Notables who live in Baabdat
Although a native of BeirutBeirut
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...
, Maxime Chaya
Maxime Chaya
Maxime Edgard Chaya is a sportsman, mountaineer and explorer from Lebanon. On May 15, 2006, he was the first Lebanese to climb Mount Everest, completing the Seven Summits challenge...
(the first from his country to climb Everest and ski all-the-way to both poles) moved to Baabdat where he now lives year-long with his children Edgard and Kelly.
Religious Structures
Like most mountain villages of LebanonLebanon
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...
, Baabdat is home to numerous, historic churches, monasteries and convents.
- Saint Mamas Church, built in the 16th century
- Saint GeorgeSaint GeorgeSaint George was, according to tradition, a Roman soldier from Syria Palaestina and a priest in the Guard of Diocletian, who is venerated as a Christian martyr. In hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Catholic , Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and the Oriental Orthodox...
Church, built in the mid 18th century
- Our Lady of Deliverance Church, built in 1851
- Saint Michael Greek Catholic Church
- Saint Antonio Convent, completed in 1900