Rashaya District

Rashaya District (Arabic: قضاء راشيا‎) is an administrative district in the Beqaa Governorate of the Republic of Lebanon.

Most of Rachaya's population are Druze with a Christian minority. Many people of Rachaya have left for larger cities in Lebanon such as Beirut. During the Lebanese civil war, Rachaya was not affected as much as other parts of Lebanon during the conflict.

Rachaya is known for its pottery and famous for the Church bells made in the town, the town is right next to the Anti-Lebanon mountain range in bordering Syria.

Coordinates: 33°30′09″N 35°50′46″E / 33.5024°N 35.8462°E / 33.5024; 35.8462

Rashaya

Rashaya, Rachaya, Rashaiya, Rashayya or Rachaiya (Arabic: راشيا), also known as Rashaya al-Wadi or Rachaya el-Wadi (and variations), is a town of the Rashaya District in the south of the Beqaa Governorate of Lebanon. It is situated at around 1,350 metres (4,430 ft) above sea level on the western slopes of Mount Hermon, south east of Beirut near the Syrian border, and approximately halfway between Jezzine and Damascus.

Culture

Rashaya has a population of around 6,000 to 7,500 that are mostly Druze. It is still considered to be a traditional Lebanese town with its old cobbled streets and small shops, even though it witnessed in recent years a slight expansion of buildings. It retains a distinguished character of traditional stone houses with red tiled roofs.

The small souk in the middle of the town offers various shops selling local crafts and inexpensive goods. There is a recently renovated goldsmiths selling an assortment of gold and silver jewelry in Byzantine and other styles.

The nearby Faqaa forest is classified as a protected area and Pine nuts from the local conifer trees are used in traditional cooking.