Baabdat Family Trees - Lebanon

• Lebanon is more than 6000 years old.
• In 1920, Lebanon became a state defined by the present-day boundaries. It had its independence and became the “Lebanese Republic” on November 22, 1943. Its current regime is parliamentary and constituted of 128 deputies.
• The population in Lebanon is estimated to be more than 4 million whereas the number of the immigrants originating from Lebanon exceeds 10 million spread all over the world.
• The Cananeans and Phoenicians were the first inhabitants of Lebanon.
• The phoenicians were the first to sail across the world. They succeeded in foreign trade and were called the lords of the seas. They reached Brazil before Christopher Columbus as marked on the writings on the Pedra da Gávea Rock in the area of Rio de Janeiro and the Pouso Alto Rock in the Paraíba area as well as the writings on the Dighton Rock in the state of Massachusetts in the United States.
• The phoenicians invented the alphabet that became the basis of the latin letters.
• The name that was given to the european continent derived from the phoenician girl Europe, from the city of Tyr in southern Lebanon.
• Solomon’s temple was built with lebanese cedar wood.
• Many people and countries crossed Lebanon since the days of the Cananeans and the Phoenicians including Akkadians, Hyksos, Hittites, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantians, Arabs, Crusaders, Memluks, Ottomans (Turks), Egyptians, French, British, Palestinians, Syrians, Israelis, UN forces…
• Lebanon was subject to Turkish Ottoman occupation for 400 years (1516-1918).
• The biggest immigration of the lebanese started during the ottoman turkish regime in 1840 and continued till 1920. Its causes were persecution, poverty and demographic growth.
• The immigration of Baabdatis started in 1870 till around 1920 towards the american continent and especially Brazil, Argentina and the United States.
• Each lebanese who travelled under the ottoman rule held a permit from the mandatory authorities known as a turkish passport. That’s why they were called “turcos” i.e. Turks especially in the american continent countries where this designation still relatively accompanies the lebanese and the syrians.
• Our ancestors who immigrated were mostly farmers. In the foreign countries, they practiced trade using peddling at the beginning.
• The important presence of lebanese expatriates abroad made them reach high and distinguished posts such as presidents of republics, ministers, deputies, general directors, armed forces, doctors, engineers, businessmen…
• Despite its small area, Lebanon has more than 1700 villages and cities.
• Lebanon has, besides its capital Beirut of course, a series of historic and touristic areas including: Tripoli, Sidon, Tyros, Zahle, Baalbek, Jounieh, Arz, Beiteddine, Deir al-Qamar, Jeita, Nahr el-Kalb, Harissa, Anjar, Ashmoun…
• Lebanon is one of the countries that has most archeological sites compared to its size.
• The temples of Jupiter, Venus and Bakhos are located in Baalbek in eastern Lebanon. Their area is estimated to be ten times bigger than the Acropolis of Athens. In Baalbek also, there is the biggest hand-sculpted stone known as the Pregnant Stone. Its weight is approximately 2 thousand tons and its size is 435 m³.
• Beirut is the city of law. The first law school in the world was established in Beirut but a strong earthquake destroyed it in 551 and some ruins still exist today.
• The first printing press was established in Saint Anthony’s Monastery (Deir Mar Antonios) in the Qozhaya village north Lebanon in 1610. The press machine is still exhibited at the museum of the monastery.
• 70% of the lebanese topography is constituted of mountains and reliefs.
• The Qornat al-Sawda which is the highest peak in the Middle East is located in North Lebanon and has an altitude of 3090 meters.
• There is no desert, no oil or camels in Lebanon.
• Lebanon is characterized by its many streams. More than 13 rivers rise and shed in it out of which two pour in a part of Syria and Israel. There is also an artificial lake in Lebanon called the Qaraoun Lake.
• The cedar tree is the symbol of Lebanon. Some trees are thousands of years old. Cedars still exist in Lebanon.
• A series of grottos with stalactites and stalagmites are spread in Lebanon. The most important is the grotto of Jeita constituted of two upper and lower grottos. Circulation in the second one is achieved through a small boat.
• Lebanon is the only country among arab countries that is characterized by its mountains covered with snow. Numerous ski resorts are spread in it and they attract arab, european and foreign tourists. You can ski in the morning in the mountains then in less than an hour go swimming in the sea that stretches beautifully all along the coast.
• The name Lebanon was mentioned 72 times in the Old Testament.
• The name of the Holy Bible derived from the phoenician word Byblos. The city of Byblos is the oldest in the world and they say that the first house in the world was built in it.
• The first miracle of Jesus Christ, when he turned water into wine, occurred in the Qana village in southern Lebanon and the traces of the six jars mentioned in the Holy Bible still remain in the village and attract tourists from all over the world.
• The saints of Lebanon are Sharbel, Rafqa and Hardini. The beatified Yaacoub el-Kabboushi is following them on their road to canonization. Since 2006, the Vatican started to study the proceedings of the canonization of fathers Leonard Melki and Touma Saleh from Baabdat.
• The name of the Holy Bible derived from the phoenician word Byblos. The city of Byblos is the oldest in the world and they say that the first house in the world was built in it.
• The first miracle of Jesus Christ, when he turned water into wine, occurred in the Qana village in southern Lebanon and the traces of the six jars mentioned in the Holy Bible still remain in the village and attract tourists from all over the world.
• The saints of Lebanon are Sharbel, Rafqa and Hardini. The beatified Yaacoub el-Kabboushi is following them on their road to canonization. Since 2006, the Vatican started to study the proceedings of the canonization of fathers Leonard Melki and Touma Saleh from Baabdat.
• Lebanon is one of the safest countries despite all the wars and conflicts. Theft and suicide rates are also much less than other parts of the world.
• Compared to its size, Lebanon is considered an attractive investment country.
• Lebanon is a very important transit station in the Middle East to market the imported and exported goods between the european, african and middle eastern countries because of its strategic geographic location.
• Lebanon imports much more than it exports. Its economy relies on trade, tourism and the banking sector.
• The foods in the foreign countries that are known as arab or syrian foods and arab or syrian bread are nothing but lebanese specialties. At first come the Tabbouleh (lebanese salad), Kebbe, Baba Ghannouj, Hummus, Moutabbal…
• Despite its small size, Lebanon hosts more than 3 million visitors (2009) every year. This number is increasing considerably.
• Lebanon is the only country among all the arab countries that has a casino known as the “Casino du Liban” built in 1959.
• The banking sector in Lebanon is one of the most secure in the world. Lebanon is one of the fewest countries in the world that preserve bank secrecy. It includes around 70 lebanese and international banks.
• Lebanon is characterized by the jewelry, gold and diamond industry. The use of gold in the everyday life of the lebanese people is normal and safe. Lebanon is also very active worldwide in different fields such as the media and fashion.
• The arabic, english and french languages are obligatory in all the education programs in addition to the armenian language in some schools. In Lebanon, there are schools and universities that teach in four languages and other education centers are being opened in other languages.
• The author, poet, painter and philosopher Gibran Khalil Gibran is lebanese from the Bsharreh village in the north of Lebanon.
• Freedoms of expression, belief and faith as well as the freedom of clothing and trade… are all freedoms adopted in Lebanon.
• The lebanese government is intending to establish a law that allows those who have a Lebanese origin to obtain the lebanese citizenship.
• The construction law imposes on each building in the mountain areas to be made of 60% of natural stones, and for the roof 60% of red tiles.

Are you still wondering about your roots?
Yes, that’s Lebanon. That’s part of the history and greatness of Lebanon. It’s a small but glowing and splendid country.

That’s Lebanon, the message of peace. The country your ancestors immigrated from, escaping from the Ottoman Turkish persecution, hunger and poverty. They crossed the seas, suffered and struggled in the name of freedom. Lebanon is the heart of the world where you belong. It’s the book and you are its pages.

The small town of Baabdat that grew to be the size of the world is part of Lebanon and its history. You, who have a lebanese and Baabdati origin, be proud, feel satisfied and great wherever you go to have your roots in Lebanon, this Holy land and the country of your hero ancestors.