Darbechtar

Darbechtar داربعشتار
View of Darbechtar
Location in the Republic of Lebanon
Coordinates: 34°16′06″N 35°47′37″E
Country	Republic of Lebanon
Governorate	North
District	El-Koura
Elevation	300 m (984 ft)
Time zone	+2
• Summer (DST)	+3 (UTC)
Website	[Under Construction]

Green Olive Tree Field

Darbechtar ( known also as Darb Ishtar, Arabic: داربعشتار‎) is a village located on the South-Eastern periphery of the Koura District in the North Governorate of the Republic of Lebanon.

Darbechtar borders the villages of Amyoun, Bziza, Majdel, Kaftoun, and Dar-shmizzine.

The Lebanese hailing from Darbechtar number 10,000 worldwide. 85% of them live outside Lebanon, mainly in Brazil, Australia, and the United States.

The population of Darbechtar is Maronite Catholic.

Etymology

The name of the village is derivative of the Aramaic words, Dar and Ishtar, meaning the House of Astarte. It is believed that the village was the site of an ancient Phoenician shrine for the Goddess of Fertility.

Climate

Darbechtar  : Mediterranean plain village with heavy rains, mild winters and hot dry arid summers.

Min / Max average temperatures in Celsius Degree
Jan (8/16) Feb (9/16) Mar (10/19) Apr (13/22) May (16/25) Jun (19/27) Jul (22/29) Aug (23/30) Sep (20/29) Oct (17/27) Nov (13/22) Dec (10/18)

Environment

The village is the home of Olive oil production. Therefore most of the village is planted with the ever green Olive Trees along with Grapes, Figs, variety of bushes, plants, and flowers.

The Olive Fruit

Description of the Olive Tree

The Olive is an evergreen tree or shrub native to the Mediterranean. It is short and squat, and rarely exceeds 8-15 meters in height.

The silvery green leaves are oblong in shape, measuring 4–10 cm long and 1–3 cm wide. The trunk is typically gnarled and twisted.

The small white flowers, with four-cleft calyx and corolla, two stamens and bifid stigma, are borne generally on the last year's wood, in racemes springing from the axils of the leaves.

The fruit is a small drupe 1-2.5 cm long, thinner-fleshed and smaller in wild plants than in orchard cultivars. Olives are harvested at the green stage or left to ripen to a rich purple color(black olive).

The Olive Fruit Harvest

Olive oil extraction

Traditionally, olive oil was produced by crushing olives in stone or wooden mortars or beam presses. Nowadays, olives are ground to tiny bits, obtaining a paste that is mixed with water and processed by a centrifuge, which extracts the oil from the paste, leaving behind pomace.

Uses of the Olive Fruit

Olive Oil is used in cooking, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and soaps, and as a fuel for traditional oil lamps. Olive oil is a healthful oil because of its high content of monounsaturated fat (mainly oleic acid) and polyphenols.

Places of worship

There are 4 places of Christian worship in Darbechtar mainly Churches:

• Church of Saint George
• Church of Saint Elias
• Church of Saint Chalita
• Church of our Lady of Saydeh

Photo gallery

• 

  This is the Church of St. Georges.

• 

  This is the interior of the Church of St. Georges.

• 

  This is the Church of Saydeh.

• 

  This is the interior of the Church of Saydeh.

• 

  This is the way leading to the Cave of St. Elias.

• 

  This is the Cave of St. Elias.

• 

  This is the Valley of St. Elias. The Cave of St. Elias is located in this Valley.

• 

  This is the Church of Mar Chalita.

• 

  Naher el Asfour.

• 

  Naher el Asfour.

• 

  You can find a spring water outlet below ground level.

• 

  Delicious Grapes

• 

  The Olive Fruit

Additional information

Koura Villages
1. .Aaba	2. .Afsdik	3. .Ain Akrine	4. .Ali-al-Mouran
5. .Amioun	6. .Anfeh	7. .Badebhoun	8. .Barghoun
9. .Barsa	10. .Bdebba	11. .Beitroumin	12. .Bechmezzine
13. .Bhabouch	14. .Bishriyata	15. .Bkomra	16. .Bneyel
17. .Bohssas	18. .Btourram	19. .Btouratige	20. .Bkeftine
21. .Bnehran	22. .Bsarma	23. .Btaaboura	24. .Bziza
25. .Charlita	26. .Chira	27. .Dahr-al-Ain .	28. .Darbechtar
29..Darchmezzine .	30. .Deddeh	31. .Fih	32. .Ijdebrine
33. .Kaftoun	34. .Kefraya	35. .Kelbata	36. .Kelhat
37. .Kfaraakka	38. .Kfarhata	39. .Kfarhazir	40. .Kfarkahel
41. .Kfarsaroun	42. .Kousba	43. .Maziriit Toula	44. .Mitrit
45. .Mijdel	46. .Nakhleh	47. .Rachedbine	48. .Ras Maska
49. .Ras Osta	50. .Wata Fares	51. .Zakroun	52. .Zakzouk

Additional geographical information:

http://www.fallingrain.com/world/LE/3/Amioun.html

See also List of cities in Lebanon