Al-Bitar البطار | |
|---|---|
Village | |
 Al-Bitar in the summer | |
  Al-Bitar Location in Syria | |
| Coordinates:34°52′29″N36°19′11″E / 34.87472°N 36.31972°E /34.87472; 36.31972 | |
| Country |  Syria |
| Governorate | Tartus Governorate |
| District | Safita District |
| Nahiyah | Mashta al-Helu |
| Elevation | 700 m (2,300 ft) |
| Population (2004) | |
• Total | 1,225 |
Al-Bitar (Arabic:البطار) is a village in theTartus Governorate nesting at one of theCoastal Mountain Range peaks at an altitude of about 1000m above mean sea level. Al-Bitar is located about 7 km fromMashta al-Helu town and resort, 60 km fromHoms, 50 km fromTartus and about 215 km from the capital cityDamascus. The village itself elevates about 700m above mean sea level, while some of its peaks reaches 1000m. According to theSyria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), al-Bitar had a population of 1,225 in the 2004 census.[1] Its inhabitants are predominantlyChristians,[2] of theGreek Orthodox Church.
 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Al-Bitar" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(June 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Apple farms are the backbone of al-Bitar's economy and have been the major income for the residents since the villagers decided to replace the previously predominant vain and fig trees, with apple around the 1950s of the last century.There are still a lot of vain, fig and other fruit trees but mainly for personal consumption. In addition to eating and preserving, the locals use the grapes to make triple distilledArak. Most fruits are used also to make different sorts of jams and jellies. Farms are mostlyterraces and as the region enjoy a lot of rain between September and March, hence farms are mainly rained. Most of the apple produced in the village is eithergolden delicious orred delicious and many regard it among the tastier in the world due to the water and soil.
Some of the farmers dedicate part of their farms for wheat and corns, mainly for personal use. Wheat is used mostly to producebulgur, which makes the main dishes all over the year; whether as a standalone meal, next to other meals or part of other meals; such astabbouleh,kibbeh,mujaddara and many others. The soil fertility and Mediterranean climate, combined with the habit of keeping animal farms for milk, egg and meat, allow the locals to enjoy a great level of self-sufficiency.
