Baaqline
in
the
Shouf
District
holds
an
important
place
in
Lebanon's
history.
The
town
is
said
to
date
back
to
Emir
Maan,
who
came
from
Aleppo
with
his
people
in
the
12th
century
to
fight
the
Crusaders.
He
was
the
one
who
laid
the
foundations
of
Baaqline
in
1120
AD.
Later
on
Emir
Maan
established
the
Maan
dynasty
that
lasted
until
the
late
17th
century.
Fakhreddine
II
was
also
born
here.
Considered
one
of
the
founders
of
modern
Lebanon,
Fakhreddine
used
Baaqline
as
his
capital
before
moving
the
administration
to
Deir
el-Qamar.
Baaqline
was
also
the
seat
of
the
Mount
Lebanon
government
during
Ottoman
times.
Unfortunately,
the
great
feudal
palaces
of
Fakhreddine
and
other
rulers
that
once
stood
here
have
disappeared
with
time.
But
one
building
remains
to
give
us
a
hint
of
old
Baaqline,
This
is
the
Grand
Serail--the
beautiful
government
building
constructed
in
1837.
It
was
from
these
grand
halls
that
the
governor
of
Mount
Lebanon
ruled
before
the
capital
was
moved
to
Baabda.
The
Serail
sits
a
spacious
square
in
the
west
part
of
town
and
has
a
graceful
porch
supported
by
three
classical
columns.
The
building
was
carefully
restored
in
1987
and
transformed
into
a
library
with
reading
rooms
and
a
collection
of
books
in
Arabic,
French,
English
and
other
languages.
You
will
enjoy
this
pleasant
quiet
town,
tucked
away
in
the
heart
of
the
Shouf
at
860
meters
elevation.
Baaqline
is
known
for
its
olives
which
can
still
be
seen
growing
in
mountain
terraces.
It
is
also
famous
for
beautiful
needlework.
If
you
feel
adventuresome,
ask
about
the
footpath
that
leads
down
into
the
valley
for
some
12
km.
The
route
goes
past
a
large
sinkhole,
a
kind
of
underground
cave,
and
continues
on
to
two
swimming
pools
on
the
Nahr
al-Hamman. |
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