- Blaouza
Infobox City Lebanon
official_name = Blaouza
native_name = بلوزا
image_size =
image_caption =
governorate = North Governorate
district = Bsharri District
lat_deg = 34
lat_min = 15
lat_sec = 39
lat_hem = N
lon_deg = 35
lon_min = 57
lon_sec = 10
lon_hem = E
elevation_m = 1320
mapx = 34.2608
mapy = 35.9528Blaouza ( _ar. بلوزا, also spelt "Blawza" and "Blouza"), is a Maronite Christian village in the
Bsharri District of theNorth Governorate ofLebanon . The population is approximately 3,000 [ [http://www.afdc.org.lb/pages-HTML/AFDC%20PROGRAMMES/centre-forest-fighting-ECLife-Project-Workshop.htm Association for Forest Development and Conservation (Lebanon)] ] , and the village lies at an altitude of 1,320 metres above sea level [ [http://www.localiban.org/article.php3?id_article=952 Localiban] ] .The Village and its History
Blaouza lies in the
Qannoubine Valley region of the Qadisha Valley, an area settled 1,000-1,300 years ago by Maronite refugees fleeing persecution in the remote mountains ofLebanon andSyria . In their isolation, the communities of the Qadisha Valley preserved their religion, customs and language until the modern era. Unlike most Maronites inLebanon , residents of Blaouza (and the Qadisha Valley in general) claim to be of Aramean, rather thanPhoenicia n, descent.Most villages in the region have Aramaic names, and the name Blaouza comes from the Aramaic for "almond plains" [ [http://becharreregion.com/blawza.htm Blawza, Mayors' League of Becharre Region] ] . Until the early 20th century, most villagers were Aramaic-speakers, and as a result, Blaouza natives speak Arabic with a distinct
accent . This is also true of many of the Maronite villages of the region.Famous Residents
*
Gabriel of Blaouza ("born circa 1625") [ [http://maronitesvictoria.org/antoninemonks.html Gabriel de Blawza] ] , MaronitePatriarch 1704-1705.References
ee also
*
Bsharri District
*Kadisha Valley
* Maronites
*Lebanon External links
* [http://www.blouza.com/ Australian Blouza Association]
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