Beit Mellat

Beit Mellat (Arabic: بيت ملات) is a town in Akkar Governorate, Lebanon.

Beit Mellat بيت ملات
village
Beit Mellat
Coordinates: 34°31′47″N 36°09′45″E
Country	Lebanon
Governorate	Akkar
District	Akkar
Area [1]
• Total	2.66 km2 (1.03 sq mi)
Elevation [1]	540 m (1,770 ft)
Population  (2009)[2]
• Total	2,139 eligible voters
• Density	804/km2 (2,080/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Dialing code	+961

The population in Beit Mellat are mostly Maronite.^[2]

History

In 1838, Eli Smith noted the village as Beit Melat, whose inhabitants were Maronite, located south of esh-Sheikh Mohammed.^[3]

On September 10 1975, Al Saaka, a group composed of Palestinian and Syrian forces, launched an attack on the village of Beit Mellat, better known as the Beit Mellat massacre,^[4] resulting in the tragic loss of lives and kidnapping of several Christian residents and the torching of many houses. The Beit Mellat incident is known for being one of the first mass killing in a series of massacres^[5] targeting Christian residents during the Lebanese civil war.

Beit Mellat has one of the highest percentage of Diaspora voters in the Akkar Governorate (15.3%). Nearly half of these voters live in Mexico (44.8%), followed by Australia (12.3%), and France (10.5%).^[6]

Notable Personalities from Beit Mellat

Antoun Chahine - Colombian-Lebanese businessman and banker

Robert Chahine - American-Lebanese renowned Cardiologist and Academic Researcher

Salim Layoun - Lebanese Army General

Edmond Abdel Massih - President of the France National Council

Emile Chahine - Lebanese Cinema Critic

Alvaro Chajin - Colombian-Lebanese businessman, CEO of servioptica

Simon Nehme - Mexican-Lebanese businessman