Borj Chemali

Borj Ech Chemali
برج الشمالي
Town
Borj Ech Chemali is located in Lebanon
Borj Ech Chemali
Borj Ech Chemali
Coordinates: 33°15′45″N 35°14′20″E / 33.26250°N 35.23889°E / 33.26250; 35.23889
Grid position172/296 PAL
Country Lebanon
GovernorateSouth Governorate
DistrictTyre
Elevation
203 ft (62 m)
Population
 (2015)
 • Total36,308
 [1]
Time zoneGMT +3

Borj Ech Chemali (Arabic: برج الشمالي) is a town in the Tyre District in South Lebanon, located just east of Tyre.

Name

According to E. H. Palmer in 1881, the name Burj esh Shemâly means "the northern tower".[2]

History

In 1875, Victor Guérin found the village to be inhabited by 150 Métualis. The old fort was divided into several private dwellings.[3]

In 1881, the PEF's Survey of Western Palestine (SWP) described it as: "A large village built of stone, containing about 300 Metawileh, placed on a low ridge, with figs, olives, and arable land around. There are two good springs nearby.[4]

They further noted that it was "a village with a similar tower of drafted masonry (as that of Borj Rahal). The hill is crowned by a stronghold, the vaults of which, slightly ogival, do not appear older than the Crusaders, but it was constructed of older blocks, some in drafted masonry while others are completely smoothed. About a mile to the south-west of this hill is a subterranean series of tombs, each containing several ranges of loculi, which was explored by Renan."[5]

References

  1. ^ city-facts.com
  2. ^ Palmer, 1881, p. 4
  3. ^ Guérin, 1880, p. 202
  4. ^ Conder and Kitchener, 1881, SWP I, p. 48
  5. ^ Conder and Kitchener, 1881, SWP I, p. 58

Bibliography

External links