Tabarja
|
Tabarja طبرجا - Tαπασγια |
|
|---|---|
| Village | |
 Tabarja
|
|
| Coordinates: 34°02′N 35°38′E / 34.033°N 35.633°ECoordinates: 34°02′N 35°38′E / 34.033°N 35.633°E | |
| Country |
 Lebanon
|
| Governorate | Mount Lebanon Governorate |
| District | Keserwan District |
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) |
| • Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) |
| Dialing code | +961 |
Tabarja is a coastal town in Lebanon, situated in Kesrouan, 56 kilometers north of Beirut.
Tabarja's name is possibly a corruption of the Greek, ΠΕΡΙΦΕΡΕΙΑ (PERIF-ER-YA), which means "district headquarters" and was once home to an ancient castle and port which have since been lost to modern development (though artifacts, such as Phoenician burial pots, were recovered by private collectors in the early 20th century during said modern construction). However, the name of the settlement may also be related to the Persian word "Tub" or "طب", meaning medicine, due to a local cave reputed to be sacred. Currently, Tabarja is a village that's faltering economy is mostly based in the hospitality industry, standing host to a variety of resorts, restaurants and seaside attractions as well as unique architecture dating back centuries
The main attraction of the town is its picturesque fishing port where Saint Paul is said to have set sail on one of his missionary trips to Europe. One of the modern beach resorts built near the port is named in honor of Saint Paul and currently towers over the bay. The other resorts in the town are named after another local figure, King Bargis, whose castle they are built atop of, alongside the local church. The Triple church of St. George is a popular historic Maronite site in the town and features an ossuary with the town's individual family crypts as well as elaborate statuary and engravings. The religious structure is over 500 years old and was built on a pagan site, Phoenician and Roman, referenced as a possible altar to Adonis or another local deity.
Large Roman stones are still visible today in the walls of the church, as well as undated stones featuring crusader era reliefs from what may have been a Crusader fort. A sea level cave not too far from the church is also named in honor of Saint George, but has been severely damaged over the years due to modernization and land disputes. This rock formation among the unique limestone rock formations on the coast had been considered sacred for centuries, and sick infants were brought by their mothers for immersion in the salt water of the cave in order to receive a supernatural cure through Saint George.
...
Wikipedia