Kartaba Profile

Distance from Beirut:

60 Km

Distance from the sea side: 35 Km
Average Time Distance from Beirut: 50 Minutes
Altitude: 1250 M
Mouhafazat : Mount Lebanon
District: Byblos
 

 

View from Jouret El khouryieh (the western entrance of Kartaba)

Population about 12000 (~8453 are registered as of January 2004)
Summer time about 1100 houses are occupied. (about 8000 persons)
winter time about 100 houses are occupied. (about  2000 persons)
  about 2000 persons from the registered don't come to kartaba
voter 6500 voters
   
Access to kartaba 1- Jounieh - Nahr-Ibrahim - Machnaka- kartaba (Main)
  2- Byblos - Tourzaya- Machnaka - Kartaba
  3- Byblos - Tourzaya - Machnaka - Jinneh - Kartaba
  3- Byblos - Tourzaya - Ehmej - Laklouk - Charbineh - Kartaba
  4- Byblos - Tourzaya - Ehmej - Laklouk - Aakoura - Mghayry - Aabboud - Kartaba
  5- Jounieh - Faraya - Ehmez - Lassa - Afka - Ghabat - Yanouh - Aabboud - Kartaba
  6- Jounieh - Faraya - Ehmez - Lassa - Afka - Ghabat - Yanouh - Hdeynneh - Kartaba
 

 

 
The Below information are the courtesy of Mr. AFIF BOUTROS MERHEJ from his series of "IAARAF LIBNAN"
Name Origin: Syriaque and it means the good, curing and balanced weather. Some novelist relate this region's name to Andalusia's "Kourtouba". As for ANIS FREIHA, he sees that the name comes from "KARTAB", a plant that grows in the arid mountains, thus we do not support much this theory and we rather tend to believe the first one since many of the surrounding villages carry their names out of the Syriaque or the Aramyian.
   
   
History kartaba is considered the main largest village in the highland of Jbeil after Byblos city itself, as well as an important trading place for all its surrounding villages; Starting 1918, Silk manufacturing flourished in kartaba and the number of factories at this time was 7, where more than 500 man and women worked. An important number of silk produced was exported LYON city in France by the people of kartaba themselves through their agents.

After the crisis that destroyed this manufacture, the Kartabians started working the land, especially in potatoes plantation which they got well renowned for having for having such a fine quality, that a good potato got to be called kartabawi potato where ever it came from.

the Kartabians started planting Apple trees especially in the high hills of the village where you can have the best and the most renowned as well.

In 1915, kartaba had also its share of the famine that hit Lebanon, consequently an important number emigrated to the America's and reach to become more than the locals themselves, where many of them did also get important ranks and positions in the foreign lands.

   
 

The moving of the families to kartaba was described in the manuscript of the priest YOUSSEF SAADE ALHASARATI as follows:

  • The family of Aaziz Nassrallah came to kartaba from Toula (Batroun), in 1550. As per the historian priest Oghastine Salem, this family came from the "SAKHNA" in Syria after they have been persecuted in that time over there.

  • The Challita family came to kartaba from Yanouh in 1581

  • The Karam family came to kartaba from Yanouh in 1609

  • The Attallah family came to kartaba from Hjoula in 1687

  • The Kikano family (El Beyrouty) came to kartaba from Ardeh (Zgharta) in 1691

  • The Ibrahim El Khoury family came to kartaba from Yanouh in 1699

  • The Sakr family came to kartaba from Mtein in 1702

  • the Sawaya family came to kartaba from El Choueir in 1840

  • the Ziadeh family came to kartaba from chahtoul (keserouan) in 1905

  • The Said family came to kartaba from Mechane in 1910

 
   

 

page created and designed by Pierre Antoun Khoury

pierre@kartaba.org

00961 3 870336

 
Copyright © 2002 www.kartaba.org
Last modified:
04/17/2004