Zahle

Nestled in the heart of Lebanon’s hinterland, Zahle is the capital and the largest city of Beka’a region. It is the third-largest city in Lebanon after Beirut and Tripoli. Zahle was founded about 300 years ago in the early 18th century. Its center spreads along both banks of the Bardouni River.

The city enjoyed a brief period of autonomy as the region's first independent state in the 19th century when it had its own flag and anthem. Zahle was burned in 1777 and 1791, and it was burned and plundered in 1860. It was only in the late 1800s, during the rule of the Mutasarrifiah, that Zahle began to regain its prosperity. A railroad ran through it in 1885 to improve its commerce.  The town gradually became the internal "port" of the Beka'a and Syria. It was also the center of agriculture and trade between Beirut and Damascus, Mosul and Baghdad. 

Zahle is considered the administrative and commercial capital of one of the biggest regions in Lebanon, the Beka'a valley, that spreads over 42.27% of Lebanon's territory. 

Zahle is also an agricultural town which produces vegetables, fruit, grains and most importantly, grapes. More specifically, its culture revolves around its signature crop, the grape, and its products, wine and arak, hence its alias  "the City of Wine and Poetry".

Grapes are the area's main product, with vineyards forming a prominent feature of the surrounding landscape. A considerable part of the local produce supplies the three wineries present in and around  Zahle.

Zahle's cultural highlights are rooted in tradition, geography, and history.

The Bardouni River  flows from Sannine Mountain  down through Zahle. Berdouni is now synonymous to Lebanon's famous mezze and alfresco dining culture.

Our Lady of Zahlé and Bekaa is undoubtedly one of Zahle's most prominent structures. Visible from several miles away in the central Beka'a Valley, the structure has at its base a chapel and at its top a tower with a breathtaking view of the city. 

Additional City Highlights

• Town Hall (Old Serail)
• The Catholic Cathedral (Our Lady of Salvation)
• Grand Hotel Kadri
• Memshieh Park
• Chateau Ksara
• Archaeological Site of Anjar
• Archaeological Site of Niha 

• Said Akl, poet, philosopher and politician
• Fouad El Turk, poet, former Lebanese ambassador to the United Nations and head of the Forum of Lebanese Ambassadors
• Charles Elachi, director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in NASA
• Elias Hrawi, president of Lebanon 1989–1998
• Najwa Karam, Lebanese singer
• Wael Kfoury, Lebanese singer
• Isabel Bayrakdarian, Armenian-Canadian soprano
• Shakira Mebarak, Colombian singer-songwriter whose father is from Zahle

(Image: Wael Kfoury Instagram)