BAR ELIAS

Site characteristics

Barelias is a village of the Bekaa Valley, the center of Bekaa, known widely acknowledged by the transit passes, the center distance between Beirut and Damascus. As the distance between the center of the northern Bekaa and the south became important because of its central valleys and on the international line of the most important economic centers and the largest commercial markets, Barelias has good neighborly relations with the rest of the towns and villages and cities in the province. Reached from Syria , Beirut , Baalbeck , and West Bekaa over international ,natioanl and local roads .
Multi-ways from all directions through advanced in the center of the Bekaa must lead you to Barelias ,it is an open gate to all guests and visitors.

Barelias located in the district of Zahle on the average of 800 m above sea level, at a distance of 51 Km from Beirut via Damascus-Chtoura. Spread over both sides of the international line between Beirut and Damascus. The exterior parts of Barelias extend about a distance of 4 km of sprawling lovely green plains ,west up to Anjar east and Zahle, and Kafr Zabad and Addalhamiah north and Almarj to the south.

A vast land area of more than 35000 dunums (3500 hectares) of which about 7000 dunums residential and the rest agricultural.


Crops : Beet(shamander), onion and potatoes, apples and wheat. The number of residents registered is more than 25.000 People of origin approximately 10,000 voters .(according to the last municipal elections held in 2010)

The strategic position of Barelias on the main road that links Beirut to Damascus, improved the active international trade movement between Lebanon and Syria, which has contributed to make Barelias a center for branches of Financial institutions and businesses and industry.



Name and Origin

Freiha said that the first passage of the name "mainland" might be the word is being BARRA And means The field, and it might be BARR means wheat, but preferred the word BAR Syriac and means " Son "as it is also in the Arab South. The Elias stated that it is one of the Hebrew by Greek or Latin : EL ĬSHA And means "Divine salvation and survival," In Greek ELISA And it means : the son of Elias and field of Elias .

Found in some places of the town, old mill buildings and some porcelain and other residues ,Indicates that the town had known the activities of the ancient peoples who lived there before its present society, but He did not benefit from what it was more than agricultural land, we tend to take sense that Freiha mentioned for the first part of the name, the "field", either Part II : Elias, it Ba'l Phoenician goddess of fertility, and it is evident that the people called the name God on agricultural land , then the meaning of the name field of God Elias .

One of the most important places which still witness to the history of Barelias Tall Barelias(Barelias hill), Tall Alsarhon-alsarhon hill,still there are some ruins of an old Palace), Tall Abu hijara (stones hill) Aljubelah, Barelias mosque, Maralias Church

Barelias is managed by Municipal Council composed of 18 members.
The first elected council was in the early 1960s.
Newly , the first municipal election took place in 1998 , the presidency of the Council was lead by Mr.Reda El-Mais and Mr.Mowas Araji (3x3) .The second session was held in 2004 and the presidency of the Council was won by Mr.Mowas Araji , and the third session was held in 2010 and was won by Mr Naji El Mais and Mr Saad Eddin Maita(3x3)The municipal council in Barelias

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