Smar Jbeil
Encyclopedia
Smar Jbeil is a village located in the Batroun District
in the North Governorate
of Lebanon
. It is located on a hill facing the Mediterranean sea
at 500 m elevation. It is one of the oldest villages in Lebanon. In the Middle Ages, the Maronites took it as a refuge from their enemy’s attacks.
Others refer the name to the Phoenician roots: Sym meaning Tomband Mar meaning lord. In this case, the village could have served as a burial ground for the kings of Jbeil (which is the oldest Phoenician city located at 20 km at the southwest of Smar Jbeil).
according to Fr. Henri Lammens
in his book Tasrih Al Absar fi Ma Yahtawi Loubnan min al Athar. It has a very old castle at the western entrance of the village built on a strategic hill, showing from its western side, the Mediterranean coast from Jbeil to Tripoli
, and from its eastern side the mountains of Lebanon specially the famous Cedars of God mountain near Bsharri
. The origin of the castle could be Phoenicia
n.
the Great, probably during his Eastern campaign in 63 BC. Up till today, we can see some Roman statues in the castle as well as a Roman theater with its circular architecture.
and their army (the Maradites), came to Smar Jbeil as a refuge place after centuries of persecution by Byzantines
in Syria
. They took control of the castle where they installed their Patriarch. The first Patriarch Saint John Maron
(685 A.C.) lived in Smar Jbeil castle before moving to Kfarhay.
After the Crusades, the village entered under the Mamluks rule in the 13th century.
, invaded the region and brought with them afterwards the Muslim Chiia to the heart of the Maronites' (Eastern catholic) region. They built a mosque on the eastern side of the castle. The village recovered its Maronite identity in the next century and the mosque was turned into a residence place.
before he moved to Kfarhay. The Mardaites counterattacked their enemies from Smar Jbeil and they won the battle in Amyoun (30 km north) while defending their Patriarch.
The Castle had a main tower showing the entire Mediterranean coast from Jounieh to Tripoli. In his book Tarikh Al Azminah, the Patriarch Estephan El Douaihy
(1670–1704) explains how the main castle tower was demolished:
The castle has many wells built in the rocks. It has also many tunnels connecting the castle to the neighboring valleys.
Saint Nohra is a priest form Manhour in Egypt who came to preach in Batroun in the early centuries of Christianity. When he reached the city, he was asked by its king to deny Jesus Christ; he refused immediately and kept preaching in Jesus Christ in the entire city. He was captured (by the king), killed and buried in one of the castle’s wells. The well became since then, a shrine for all Christian believers. Saint Nohra is known as the intercessor of sight, he had a named Takla (different from Saint Takla) and a brother named Qanoon.
Close to Saint Nohra, an old little ruined chapel with a single nave could be seen, Our Lady of Gifts church. It is believed that this church is older than Saint Nohra’s church.
Less than 500m from Saint Bassil and Nohra church you find Saint Takla church which is smaller yet very old church venerated by the parish until our days.
.
(From Aramaic: the living Treasure) knew a revival, and later in 1610 the same monastery received the first printing press in the Middle East printing in Aramaic language.
Batroun District
Batroun District is a district in the North Governorate, Lebanon, south of Tripoli. The capital is Batroun.-Cities and towns:* Abrine* Assia*Batroun* Bazbina* Bchaaleh* Beit Kassab* Bijdarfil* Billa* Deir Billa* Bqosmaya* Chatine...
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...
of 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 is located on a hill facing the Mediterranean sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
at 500 m elevation. It is one of the oldest villages in Lebanon. In the Middle Ages, the Maronites took it as a refuge from their enemy’s attacks.
Geography
- North Lebanon Governorate
- Batroun District
- Elevation: 500m
- Distance from Beirut: 53 km
- Distance from Tripoli:43 km
- Distance from Batroun:10 km
Etymology and names
Smar could be of Aramaic origin: Shemreho which means the guardian or the protector ; Jbeil being the nearby coastal famous city. Given its strategic location on an open hillside, the village and its fort could have served as an advanced position for the defense of Jbeil from its northern side.Others refer the name to the Phoenician roots: Sym meaning Tomband Mar meaning lord. In this case, the village could have served as a burial ground for the kings of Jbeil (which is the oldest Phoenician city located at 20 km at the southwest of Smar Jbeil).
History
Smar Jbeil is one of the oldest villages in 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...
according to Fr. Henri Lammens
Henri Lammens
Henri Lammens was a prominent Belgian-born Jesuit and Orientalist.Born in Ghent, Belgium of Catholic Flemish stock, Henri Lammens joined the Society of Jesus in Beirut at the age of fifteen, and settled permanently in Lebanon. During his first eight years there Lammens mastered the Arabic...
in his book Tasrih Al Absar fi Ma Yahtawi Loubnan min al Athar. It has a very old castle at the western entrance of the village built on a strategic hill, showing from its western side, the Mediterranean coast from Jbeil to Tripoli
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
, and from its eastern side the mountains of Lebanon specially the famous Cedars of God mountain near Bsharri
Bsharri
Bsharri , is a Lebanese town at about 1,450 m of altitude, near the Kadisha Valley. It is located at , in the Bsharri District of the North Governorate. Bsharri is the town of the only remaining Original Cedars of Lebanon...
. The origin of the castle could be Phoenicia
Phoenicia
Phoenicia , was an ancient civilization in Canaan which covered most of the western, coastal part of the Fertile Crescent. Several major Phoenician cities were built on the coastline of the Mediterranean. It was an enterprising maritime trading culture that spread across the Mediterranean from 1550...
n.
The Romans
The Roman troops conquered the village from its northern side under the leadership of PompeyPompey
Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, also known as Pompey or Pompey the Great , was a military and political leader of the late Roman Republic...
the Great, probably during his Eastern campaign in 63 BC. Up till today, we can see some Roman statues in the castle as well as a Roman theater with its circular architecture.
The Maronites
The MaronitesMaronites
Maronites , is an ethnoreligious group in the Middle East that have been historically tied with Lebanon. They derive their name from the Syriac saint Mar Maron whose followers moved to Mount Lebanon from northern Syria establishing the Maronite Church....
and their army (the Maradites), came to Smar Jbeil as a refuge place after centuries of persecution by Byzantines
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
in Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
. They took control of the castle where they installed their Patriarch. The first Patriarch Saint John Maron
John Maron
John Maron , died 707 was a Syriac monk, and the first Maronite Patriarch. He is revered as a saint by the Catholic Church, and celebrated on March 2.-Early life:...
(685 A.C.) lived in Smar Jbeil castle before moving to Kfarhay.
The Arabs and Crusades
The Arabs invaded the village after the crushing of the Byzantine Empire in the 9th century and controlled the village until the crusaders attacked them from the Mediterranean Sea. The crusaders demolished the old castle and built a new one called “Chateau Fort” (Strong Castle) because of its strategic location. They built a new Church on the south eastern side of the castle. In addition, they remodeled the old church of Saint Nohra (From Aramaic Nuhro meaning the light), which was itself built on the ruins of an old Roman temple. They added some Roman style construction to the church. The church still have a Crusader Cross on its western entrance.After the Crusades, the village entered under the Mamluks rule in the 13th century.
The Mamluks and the Ottomans
The Mamluks were defeated in 1516 AC by the Ottomans. The Ottomans under the Sultan Selim ISelim I
Selim I, Yavuz Sultân Selim Khan, Hâdim-ül Haramain-ish Sharifain , nicknamed Yavuz "the Stern" or "the Steadfast", but often rendered in English as "the Grim" , was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1512 to...
, invaded the region and brought with them afterwards the Muslim Chiia to the heart of the Maronites' (Eastern catholic) region. They built a mosque on the eastern side of the castle. The village recovered its Maronite identity in the next century and the mosque was turned into a residence place.
The Castle
The Castle was built in the center of the village, on a hill showing the entire neighborhood. Most of the historians recognize that the castle was built by the Phoenicians, and was under the Persian Empire control in 555 B.C. It passed to the hands of Alexander of Macedon's (the Great) in 331 B.C. In the Middle Ages, the Maronites and their army the Maradaites took the castle as a refuge and it was the See of the First Maronite Catholic Patriarch Saint John MaronJohn Maron
John Maron , died 707 was a Syriac monk, and the first Maronite Patriarch. He is revered as a saint by the Catholic Church, and celebrated on March 2.-Early life:...
before he moved to Kfarhay. The Mardaites counterattacked their enemies from Smar Jbeil and they won the battle in Amyoun (30 km north) while defending their Patriarch.
The Castle had a main tower showing the entire Mediterranean coast from Jounieh to Tripoli. In his book Tarikh Al Azminah, the Patriarch Estephan El Douaihy
Estephan El Douaihy
Patriarch Estephan II Boutros El Douaihy was born in Ehden, Lebanon on August 2, 1630. He was the Patriarch of the Maronite Church from 1670 to 1704...
(1670–1704) explains how the main castle tower was demolished:
Sunday, November 25th 1630, at 3:00AM a huge earthquake hit the castle and demolished the center tower from its four corners. It demolished also all what was in the lower basement.
The castle has many wells built in the rocks. It has also many tunnels connecting the castle to the neighboring valleys.
Churches
The old church of Saint Bassil and Nohra stands in the center of the village. It is constructed of mixed elements from a roman temple and some later material, notably from medieval times. The church was renovated over the history first by the Crusades and after by the Maronites. The last renovation was done in the late 1800 where a rock chain was added to the main entrance.Saint Nohra is a priest form Manhour in Egypt who came to preach in Batroun in the early centuries of Christianity. When he reached the city, he was asked by its king to deny Jesus Christ; he refused immediately and kept preaching in Jesus Christ in the entire city. He was captured (by the king), killed and buried in one of the castle’s wells. The well became since then, a shrine for all Christian believers. Saint Nohra is known as the intercessor of sight, he had a named Takla (different from Saint Takla) and a brother named Qanoon.
Close to Saint Nohra, an old little ruined chapel with a single nave could be seen, Our Lady of Gifts church. It is believed that this church is older than Saint Nohra’s church.
Less than 500m from Saint Bassil and Nohra church you find Saint Takla church which is smaller yet very old church venerated by the parish until our days.
.
Patriarchs
Smar Jbeil is the homeland of three Maronite Partriarchs Michael Rizzi (1567–1581), Sarkis Rizzi (1581–1596) and Joseph Rizzi (1596–1608). They were born in Bkoufa and they were known as Al-Samrani’s in relation to Smar Jbeil, their homeland and origins. Under Patriarch Michael Rizzi, the monastery of Saint Anthony the Great in QozhayaQozhaya
Qozhaya is located in the Zgharta District in the North Governorate of Lebanon. It belongs to the Lebanese Maronite Order, known as Baladites.-Monastery of Saint Anthony of Qozhaya:...
(From Aramaic: the living Treasure) knew a revival, and later in 1610 the same monastery received the first printing press in the Middle East printing in Aramaic language.