"I'm Immortal, I'm the God blessed tree, My name is The Cedars of the Lord "

"I envy the Cedars and Gibran... Because they are eternal and i am mortal."
S.Rahmeh

 
The highest range in Lebanon, one of the most dramatically beautiful spots in the country, a full paradise.

Its centerpiece is an ancient grove of cedars, a tree synonymous for millennia with Lebanon itself.

121 Kilometer to the southeast of Beirut, Seven Kilometer from the town of Bsharry birthplace of Gibran Khalil Gibran.

One the road to up, and as you get higher, the air grows crisp and snow patches streak the hollows. At the crest you you look down the other side into a gigantic bowl where the ski resort, the cedar grove and the Qadisha gorge lie before you in a wide-angle panorama. Wherever you stand the vistas are beautiful, especially when fog rises from the valley.

You first arrive at a large assortment of hotels, chalets, night clubs and restaurants which tough not a village, does from a community of residents, visitors and local proprietors. About a kilometer further on is the famous Cedars grove where the road is lined with the inevitable souvenir stands and small restaurants. The same road continues to the ski area at 2,066 meters and goes over the mountain and down into the Beqaa valley.

The cedars is a resort for all seasons.

In summer the high elevation makes it a wonderful escape from the humid coast while in winter skiing is the favorite activity.

Special links: Updated Weather Photos in the Cedars Posted to the net every 30 minutes.

History

As remote as they are, the Cedars are untouched by history. Often mentioned in the Bible and in other ancient texts, and it played an important part in the culture, trade and religious observances of the ancient Middle East.

Serious exploitation of these forest began in the third millennium before Jesus Christ, when the cities of the coast such as Byblos began to market it mainly to Egypt and their colonies in the Mediterranean.

Over the centuries, Assyrians, Babylonians and Persians made expeditions to Mount Lebanon for timber or extracted tributes of wood from the coastal cities of Canaan-Phoenicia.  

King Salomon requested large supplies of cedar wood, along with architects and builders from King Hiram of Tyre to build his temple in Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar boasted on a cuneiform inscription:

"I brought for building, mighty cedars, which i cut down with my pure hands on Mount Lebanon".

 The Egyptians used the wood for the construction of their ships and sarcophaguses, and they used the cedar resin for the mummification, and pitch was extracted for waterproofing and caulking. The Phoenician themselves used the Cedar in very wide form for the construction of their fleets.

In the second century A.D. the Roman Emperor Hadrian attempted to protect the forest with boundary markers, most carved into living rock, others in the form of separate engraved stones. In the centuries after Hadrian, Lebanon's trees were used extensively as fuel, especially for lime burning kilns. On the other hand, in the course of the Half Age the forests were invaded for the production of coal and other rural necessities. The Ottomans in the 19th century destroyed much of the forest cover and during the World War II it became the main source of wooden provisioning for the construction of the rail line, uniting Tripoli to Haifa, for the British troops.

The Grove

The Oldest grove in Lebanon, it gives an accurate idea of the stature and magnificence these trees attained in antiquity. About 375 cedars of great age stand in a sheltered glacial pocket of Mount Makmel. Four of them, many hundreds of years old, have reached a height of 35 meters and their trunks are between 12 and 14 meters around. They have straight trunks and strong branches that spread their regular horizontal boughs like fans.

Also among the inhabitants of the forest are some thousand young trees, planted in recent decades to ensure the future of this national resource. The slow-growing cedar, with its long life span, requires at least 40 years before it can even produce fertile seeds.

Like any treasure of great antiquity, the Bsharry cedar grove requires special care and protection. Please Help the Dying Cedars.

Financed by Great Britain's Queen Victoria, a wall was built to protect the grove against one of the cedar's natural enemies, the goats who enjoy feasting on young saplings. More recently a "Committee of the Friends of the Cedar Forest" , organized in 1985, is attempting to deal with the damage and disease --wrought by both man and nature-- that afflicts the trees.

To improve the general health and appearance of the forest, the committee has removed tons of dead wood and fertilized the soil. Various pests and diseases are being treated and lightning rods have been installed for further protection. Mr. Rudy Rahmeh a famous painter, poet and sculpture worked on many dead cedars and revived them as great monuments. (look at the photo above).  Three thousand meters of attractive pathways have been built so visitors can enjoy the grove without causing damage.

Also due for attention is a Maronite chapel in the center of he forest. Built in 1843 when these cedars were under the protection of the Patriarchate, the chapel is the scene of a special annual celebration of 6th August "Transfiguration Day or The God's Day".

The Cedars forest may be visited daily except Monday.

A moderate entrance fee is charged to help preserve the forest.

Guides are also available for the pleasant walk through the grove.

Skiing in the Cedars.

The Cedars station remains exceptional by its panoramic and the snow quality. Disposed in a natural amphitheatre and enjoying the altitude, its tracks are practicable close to five months a year, between December and April.

Skiing in the Cedars started in the thirties when the French Army built a skiing school which became now the skiing school for the Lebanese Army. A skiing station was built in 1953 and still working for military and public with a very small fees. Another station was built for public use, modern and well equipped covering 5 remote tracks in T form. Local stores offer special ski instructors and necessary equipments. The station also include snack bars, hotels and restaurants.

Special Activities.

Climb the highest Peak in Lebanon and in the Middle East.

You can reach this 3,088 meters height of Qornet as-Sawda on foots, or by a 4 wheel car. A whole day is needed to go up and down to the summit. You walk for 2 hours on the ski tracks to reach an old cabinet 200 meters above the highest point of the ski station. From there, you walk one hour to the north to reach the summit. If you go in winter you need more time, walking on snow is very hard and you have to guess which way to go, Summer is easier, the road is clear and bordered by snow carpets survived from last winter and prickles of porcupines. If you want an easier way you may drive a 4 wheel car on the road leading to Bekaa then you cross the mountain, then all you need is walking for 15 minutes.

Kadicha Grotto
 

On the old road leading from Bsharry to the Cedars,  a trail borders the side of the cliff and duct in the underground cave of Qadisha where springs a powerful cascade that reaches its maximal debit in the spring. This underground cave, decorated with chalky concretions and illuminated, is accessible to the visitors.
 

Stalagmite and Stalagmite in the Grotto