Zahle
Zahlé's culture has long revolved around its signature crop, the grape, and its products, wine and arak. Arak, in particular, has traditionally been served in cafés at virtually any time of the day. The city is known as "the City of Wine and Poetry". A graceful personification of this nickname stands at the town's entrance: a statue of Erato, the Muse of love poetry, holding a bunch of grapes.
There has been human activity in the area for at least 5000 years. In the 18th century, Zahlé was a small village of some 200 houses. Its relative geographic isolation from the local centres of power in Mount Lebanon and Syria caused the village not to have any significant allies in the region to fall back on in case of conflicts or attacks. Zahlé was burned in 1777 and 1791.
- the town of Kab Elias to the Southwest
- the town of Bar Elias to the South
- the villages of Furzol, Ablah and Niha to the Northeast
- and the towns of Riyaq, Haoush Hala and Ali en Nahri to the East
Your notes (private)
What's on your mind? (you can type here notes just for you and they will show on your dashboard)
Information for getting there
When someday comes you'll need to get in.
Information for getting around
When someday comes you'll need to be able to get around.
Your tips and questions
Let us know your best tips about Zahle.
