Baskinta

Baskinta
بسكنتا
City
Map showing the location of Baskinta within Lebanon
Baskinta

Location within Lebanon

Coordinates: 33°57′N 35°47′E / 33.950°N 35.783°E / 33.950; 35.783Coordinates: 33°57′N 35°47′E / 33.950°N 35.783°E / 33.950; 35.783
Country  Lebanon
Governorate Mount Lebanon Governorate
District Matn District
Elevation 1,300 m (4,300 ft)
Highest elevation 1,800 m (5,900 ft)
Lowest elevation 1,200 m (3,900 ft)
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
 • Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
Dialing code +961

Baskinta (Arabic: بسكنتا‎) is a Lebanese village situated at an altitude ranging from 1250 metres above sea level at its lowest point, to 1800 metres at Qanat Bakish. Baskinta is renowned for its natural beauty and moderate climate. Baskinta is becoming a cycling spot for mountain biking amateurs with plenty of technical off road trails and a developed cycling community. It was also the capital city of the Syriac Christian state of Marada. Baskinta is also known for the variety of its fruit especially apples and vineyards.The residents are Christians: 70% Maronites and 30% Greek Orthodox.

History

Baskinta carries the ruins of monuments, cemeteries, and numismatics, pottery remains that date as back as the Phoenician and the Greek ages. The Greeks knew Baskinta and built in it fantastic palaces of which enormous stones, pillars stands, and underground passages still exist. Golden numismatics, coins, jewels that belonged to the Queen Helena have been found too and they go back in time to the reign of Suljok and Antokhios the 1st, the 2nd and the 3rd. Bacchus temple in the place known as Bakish-canal, connotates Bacchus, the god of merriment and wine in Greek mythology In addition to its ruins, there are lustrous hotels, and luxurious chalets sought by ski fans. This is the native village of Mikhail Naimeh, one of Lebanon's greatest thinkers and men of letters who personified Baskinta's natural scenarios in most of his writings. It was here in a hut surrounded by extraordinary rock formations that Naimeh drafted much of his monumental work.

Location

Ahead of Kfardebian, and at the foot of Mount Sannine lies Baskinta (according to the Syriac Etymology, the abode, the residence, and the place). This traditional summer resort boasts a magnificent view of surrounding mountains. From Beirut head north toward Antelias, about a 12 km drive before you turn east to drive uphill towards Bikfaya, passing through Bteghrine towards Baskinta. From Baskinta it is possible to climb to the 2,628-meter summit of Mount Sannine, starting off at Nabaa Sannine, a village 7 km up the mountain.

See also

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Monday, March 28, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.