Zahlé
City in Beqaa Governorate, Lebanon / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Zahlé (Arabic: زَحْلة) is a city in eastern Lebanon, and is the capital and the largest city of Beqaa Governorate, Lebanon. With around 150,000[1][2] inhabitants, it is the third-largest city in Lebanon after Beirut and Tripoli[3][4] and the fourth-largest taking the whole urban area (the Jounieh urban area is larger).
Zahlé
زَحْلة | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 33°50′N 35°55′E | |
Country | Lebanon |
Governorate | Beqaa Governorate |
District | Zahlé District |
Government | |
• Mayor | Asaad Zoghaib |
Area | |
• City | 8 km2 (3 sq mi) |
• Metro | 40 km2 (20 sq mi) |
Highest elevation | 1,150 m (3,780 ft) |
Lowest elevation | 900 m (2,953 ft) |
Population | |
• City | 100,000 |
• Metro | 300,000 |
Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
Postcode | 1801 |
Area code | 8 |
Zahlé is located 55 km (34 mi) east of the capital Beirut, close to the Beirut-Damascus road, and lies at the junction of Mount Lebanon and the Beqaa Valley, at a mean elevation of 1,000 m.[5] Established in the 18th century by Christians, Zahlé maintains its predominantly Greek Catholic character. The city enjoys convenient accessibility via road and rail, historically leveraging its strategic location as a trade hub.[6]
Zahlé is known as the "Bride of the Beqaa" and "the Neighbor of the Gorge" for its geographical location and attractiveness, but also as "the City of Wine and Poetry".[7] It is famous throughout Lebanon and the region for its pleasant climate, numerous riverside restaurants and quality arak. Its inhabitants are predominantly Melkite Greek Catholic and are known in Arabic as Zahlawi.