Bteghrine

Infobox City Lebanon
official_name = Bteghrine
native_name = بتغرين


image_size = 300px
image_caption = Overlooking Bteghrine (2005)
governorate = Mount Lebanon Governorate
district = Matn District
leader_title = President
leader_name = Mirna Michel el-Murr
leader_title1 = Vice President
leader_name1 = Emile Murad Saliba
leader_title2 = Mayors
leader_name2 = Nejm Elias Saliba
Elias Hanna Saliba
lat_deg = 33
lat_min = 55
lat_sec = 48
lat_hem = N
lon_deg = 35
lon_min = 44
lon_sec = 42
lon_hem = E
elevation_m = 950
mapx = 33.93
mapy = 35.745

Bteghrine ( _ar. بتغرين, also spelled Bteghrin and Btighrin) is a municipality in the Matn District of the Mount Lebanon Governorate of Lebanon.

Etymology

The exact origin of the name "Bteghrine" is unknown, but possibilities include "Place of Warriors", "Place of Rocks", and "House of the Saddest" - references to a large battle in the area around 1290 that resulted in thousands of deaths. [ [http://www.bteghrine.com/history.htm "History of Bteghrine"] . Retrieved November 11, 2006.] This date corresponds closely with the end of Christian rule in the region and the rise of the Mamluks – a period which saw numerous battles in the area, including a 1291 rebellion by the Shi'a and Druze against the Mamluks in Keserwan, the district on the northern border of the Matn. [Library of Congress. [http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/lbtoc.html "A Country Study: Lebanon"] . Retrieved November 29, 2006.]

Geography

Bteghrine is located at coord|33.93|N|35.745|E|type:city_scale:20000. It is bordered by Mount Sannine to the east, Wadi el-Jamajem to the north, Jiwar to the west, and Khonchara to the south. The municipality is composed of seven neighborhoods and four outlying areas.

Neighborhoods

* Haret al-Ain
* Haret al-Dara
* Haret al-Shahara
* Haret al-Shawyee
* Haret al-Ssaha
* Haret al-Wata
* Haret Ali

Outlying areas

* Bsefrine
* Meisree
* Sabourta
* Zaarour

Water

There are several springs used for both drinking water and agriculutural purposes in Bteghrine. The four primary springs are Aassal, Manboukh, Mir, and Sparta.

Agriculture

Bteghrine is situated on a rocky hillside, but supports a thriving, self-sufficient agriculture. Most of the land within the city and the surrounding hills, including the Meisree and Bsefrine districts, was fully terraced to make it more suited for planting. The most common fruits and vegetables grown in Bteghrine are: figs, grapes, mulberry, plums, apples, peaches, persimmon, pomegranate, cherries, tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, mint, wheat, and beans. Small shops in the town process much of the local produce into arak, molasses, wine, and preserves.

Economy

The [http://www.bteghrine.com/SNS.htm Saliba Nail and Screw factory] is the largest single plant in Bteghrine. Additionally, the town has a large number of small shops for blacksmithing, woodworking, car repair and bodywork, leather tailoring, and aluminum manufacturing. The city also enjoys a full set of services including three gas stations, a supermarket, dry cleaner, several specialty and general stores, a large bakery, several bookstores, several clinics, many restaurants, and one hotel. Bteghrine also hosts the central telephone station for the upper Metn region.

Education

There is one public school in the town named Bteghrine Public School, and one private Catholic school.

Religion

The inhabitants of Bteghrine are almost all Christians, predominantly Greek Orthodox and Melkite Greek Catholic.

Churches

* St. George – Greek Orthodox.
* St. Michael – Greek Orthodox.
* St. Elias – Greek Orthodox.
* Notre Dame – Greek Catholic.

Famous Bteghrineites

* Elias Murr – Lebanese Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister
* Gabrielle Bou Rached – Miss Lebanon 2005
* George Hawi – former Secretary General of the Lebanese Communist Party, assassinated June 21, 2005 by a bomb planted under his car
* Greg Simon (Saliba) – current President of the Washington, D.C. based think tank FasterCures, Chief Domestic Policy Advisor to former Vice President Al Gore from 1993 to 1997
* Michel Murr – former Lebanese Minister of the Interior
* Antonious Saliba - Orthodox Priest in the 1800s who has had miracles attributed to them. Currently in process for sainthood.
* Naseeb Saliba - Co-founder of the Tutor-Saliba Corporation, one of the largest construction companies in the United States. Responsible for the construction of LAX, SFO, The Olympic Stadium in Los Angeles, among many others major United States landmarks.
* George A. Saliba - CTO of multi-billion dollar Quantum Corp. Currently has over 100 patents (published or in process) and is internationally recognized as an industry pioneer and inventor in data storage.
* Gabriel Murr – former Lebanese Minister of the Interior (July 26 1948 – October 10 1949)

References

External links

* [http://www.bteghrine.com/ www.bteghrine.com]
* [http://www.informs.gov.lb/EN/Directory/Addressdetails.asp?ID=1518&CTYPE=21 Lebanese Government Portal for Information & Forms - Municipality of Bteghrine]
* [http://www.tutorsaliba.com/ www.tutorsaliba.com]