Majdal Anjar مجدل عنجرMajdal Anjar | |
|---|---|
Village | |
 | |
  Majdal Anjar Location in Lebanon | |
| Coordinates:33°42′27″N35°54′14″E / 33.70750°N 35.90389°E /33.70750; 35.90389 | |
| Country |  Lebanon |
| Governorate | Beqaa Governorate |
| District | Zahle District |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Doctor Ali Ahmad Saleh |
| Area | |
• Total | 9.90 sq mi (25.65 km2) |
| Elevation | 3,180 ft (970 m) |
| Population (2006) | |
• Total | 23,000 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | +3 |
| Website | Majdal Anjar official web site |
Majdal Anjar (Arabic:مجدل عنجر; also transliteratedMajdel Anjar) is a village ofBeqaa Governorate,Lebanon. Majdal Anjar is an overwhelminglySunniMuslim town.[1][2][3]
Majdal Anjar is one of theBekaa Valley towns of the east. It is located on the international road linkingBeirut andDamascus throughLebanon andSyria'sMasnaa Border Crossing, about 55 km from the Lebanese capital and 57 kilometers from Damascus. Rise of 970 m above sea level. An area of 25,642,775 square meters. A population of about 25,000 people. It borders Sawiri from east and south, Anjar from north and Dakwi and Rawda from west.
The most important crops are cereals, including:wheat,barley,lentil,grapes,potatoes,beets,nuts,peachesapricots,cherry,pomegranate,almonds,olives,raspberries,apples,onions,tomatoes,zucchini,cabbage,cauliflower,watermelon,lettuce,radishes,parsley,Mint,garlic,beans,kidney beans, etc.
Nothing more than a simple primitive industry, and food industry, includingbread,sugar,flour, and the construction industry. A sugar factory was founded in 1958 in Majdal Anjar.
The town of Majdal Anjar is a complex interaction between Lebanon and theArab states. There are custom offices along the border region.
The Temple at Majdal Anjar that was later converted into a castle, dates back to the reign ofHerod of Chalkis who is thought to be the builder of this temple.[4] It is also next toAnjar which hosts theUmayyad era ruins which are considered aworld heritage site .
In 1838,Eli Smith notedMejdel 'Anjar as aSunni Muslim village in theBeqaa Valley.[5]
In the 2nd century BCE, theItureans, an Arab tribe from modern-dayJordan, settled in the southern Bekaa Valley and established the city of Chalkis. Following theRoman conquest of the region, EmperorClaudius granted the area toHerod of Chalkis, a great-grandson ofHerod the Great, who ruled from 41 to 48 CE. It is likely that Herod of Chalkis constructed the temple now visible at Majdel Anjar, located about three kilometers southwest of the more prominent ruins of theUmayyad city of Anjar. The site controlled a key route to Damascus. The Abbasids later dismantled the temple, converting it into a fortress.[6]
Inside the town there is a mosque called "Omar bin al-Khattab," built byWalid bin Abdul Malik bin Marwan.
During the2024 Israeli invasion of Lebanon,UNESCO gave enhanced protection to 34 cultural sites in Lebanon including the temple at Majdal Anjar to safeguard it fromdamage.[7][8]
Majdel Anjar I is a large site, 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) northwest of the village whereJesuit archaeologist,Auguste Bergy found numerousflint tools that dated to various periods. He identified aHeavy Neolithic assemblage of theQaraoun culture that consisted ofchisels, axes cores and other debris.[9]
Majdal Anjar II orTell Majdal Anjar is 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) north of the village near the road.Lorraine Copeland commented that"sackfulls" ofNeolithic flints could be recovered from the area when she visited, including large cutting tools.[10][11] The tell shows deposits with finds consisting of potterysherds, flints and part of astoneware bowl. Also found were scapers, burins, trapezoidalaxes and segmentedsickles with fine denticulation. Pottery was both fine and coarse featuring red washing, burnishing and incisions. Finds were similar to middleNeolithic levels ofByblos andArd Tlaili.[12]
Capital:Zahlé | ||
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