Toula, Lebanon

Infobox City Lebanon
official_name = Toula
native_name = تولا


image_size = 250px
image_caption = Toula, Lebanon - December 2005
governorate = North Governorate
district = Zgharta District
lat_deg = 34
lat_min = 19
lat_sec = 3
lat_hem = N
lon_deg = 35
lon_min = 57
lon_sec = 49
lon_hem = E
elevation_m = 1476
mapx = 34.3175
mapy = 35.9628

Toula (Arabic: تولا ) is a small village in North Lebanon in Zgharta District (or Quadaa). It is about 1,250 meters above sea level and serves mainly as a Summer and holiday village. Rare are the people who stay in Toula all around the year as it is usually snowed out during the winter months.

Toula has an estimated population of 1,000 who live in Lebanon. The following are some of the family names found in Toula: Zada, Mokdassi, Jilwan, Chahla, Saad, Barakat, Fayad, Moussa, Nicola, Lahoud, Dagher, Daher, Gereige, Younes, Zaddeh, Farah, Youssef, Safi, Obeid, and Nasta.

Like most Lebanese towns and cities, a large number of people from Toula emigrated to different places around the world since the end of the 19th Century. People from Toula settled mainly in the United States of America, Australia, South America, and Canada. Toula's population is highly educated. Toula has many doctors, lawyers, engineers, educators, and businessmen.

Toula is known for its fertile soil that produces fine agricultural products such as tomatoes, cucumbers, apples, pears, apricots, and grapes. Toula produces fine quality of grape Arak, a very strong aniseed-flavored distilled alcoholic drink.

The village is also known for its Saint Assia summer festival which is held annually on the last Sunday of September. The Saint Assia summer festival is typically celebrated with a village outdoor party where drinking of Arak, dancing, tolling the Saint Assia church bell and the partaking of the traditional meat dish of the Hrissi.

People from Toula have a proud heritage of working hard and having fun. Each year the people of the village who live in Sydney, Australia hold village picnics or nights at the local lebanese reception halls to keep the tradition alive.

ee also

*Arbet Kozhaya

External links

* [http://toula-lebanon.blogspot.com/ Toula Blog]
* [http://www.zgharta.com/zz/villages/toula/toula.html on Zgharta.com]
* [http://www.zgharta.com/cgi-bin/zgallery/page.cgi?g=Zgharta_Zawie%2FToula%2Findex.html&d=1 Photos of Toula]