Bhamdoun

Bhamdoun
بحمدون
Bhamdoun

Location in Lebanon

Coordinates: 33°48′35″N 35°39′19″E / 33.80972°N 35.65528°E / 33.80972; 35.65528Coordinates: 33°48′35″N 35°39′19″E / 33.80972°N 35.65528°E / 33.80972; 35.65528
Country  Lebanon
Governorate Mount Lebanon Governorate
District Aley District
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
 • Summer (DST) +3 (UTC)

Bhamdoun (Arabic: بحمدون‎) is a town in Lebanon 23 kilometers (14 mi) from Beirut on the main road that leads to Damascus and in the suburbs of the main tourist city of Aley, lying at an altitude of 1,100 meters (3,600 ft) above the Lamartine valley. Two separate villages compose the town, Bhamdoun-el-mhatta (literally meaning "Bhamdoun the station") and Bhamdoun-el-day'aa ("Bhmadoun the village"). A railroad used to link Bhamdoun to Beirut with the train station being a prominent feature of the town for many years. The station and railroad were eventually abandoned when cars became more popular. The population is mostly Orthodox Christian.

Before the Lebanese civil war, Bhamdoun was one of Lebanon's most renowned and favorite summer resorts. Today, the town has regained some of its past tourism industry as most of its hotels, restaurants and entertainment centers have been renovated or rebuilt. Tourists, especially from the Gulf region who once knew Bhamdoun, are returning to spend their summer vacation there. Many have also purchased houses or built their own.

It has five churches, two mosques built by Kuwaitis, and one synagogue. There are two Greek Orthodox churches, two Maronite, and one Protestant.

The synagogue, built in 1910,[1] was one of three grand synagogues in Lebanon. It was abandoned shortly before the civil war, but the shell of the structure still stands .

In 2000, a winery called Chateau Belle-Vue began planting vines, creating few jobs in the village. It began producing wine in 2003. The "Renaissance 2003" blend that it produced won the International Spirits and Wine Competition's Gold Medal Best in Class award in 2005, and the wine is now available at restaurants and hotels on three continents.[2] The town also contains the Safir Hotel, Four Points Hotel by Sheraton, Carlton Hotel, Alsheikh Hotel and many others.

Notable Families

Families who have roots in Bhamdoun are:

  1. ↑ Parfitt, Tudor, Israel and Ishmael: Studies in Muslim-Jewish relations, Page 89, St. Martin's Press 2000
  2. ↑ http://www.chateaubelle-vue.com

[www.chateaubelle-vue.com]

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