50 kilometers from the capitol of Lebanon, Beirut.
Located in the Bekaa Valley.
The Name
Anjar is also known as Haoush Mousa. It is divided into
six quarters: Haji Hababli,
Kabusia, Vakif, Khdr Bek, Yoghun Oluk, and Bitias. Originally, these
names were the names of the six
villages of Musa
Dagh.
The Six Quarters of Anjar
Historical Facts
In 1939 the place called Anjar in the Bekaa Valley was a dry, dusty land,
full of
insects and deseases such as Malaria. That's when 5000 Armenian refugees from Musa
Dagh, Turkey, were relocated to Anjar by the help of
the French navy. During the first few months in exile, more than 500 Anjarians died due to
desease and malnutrition. During that time the refugees lived under tents. Later,
conditions became better when water fountains
and houses, with one
room and an external bathroom, were built by the
help of the French Government.
The French Houses
The people of Anjar are heroic and hard working. Today that former dry and rugged terrain
is transformed into a green land, full of trees and large beautiful houses.
Anjar Today
Government
Nowadays, approximately 2400 people, 99.99% of them Armenians, live
in Anjar. Anjar
has its own municipality, under the directorate of Zahle, with Mr. Sebouh Sekayan as the mayor.
Besides the mayor, six "Moukhtar"s, or regional representatives, and 14
city council members form the local government.
Tourism
A very popular place in Anjar is the spring of Anjar, where every Sunday
hundreds of people
from the surrounding villages gather for picnicking and dining in the famous
Lebanese restaurants, where
fresh water fish is served. The trout is the most popular fish.
During the summer of 1993 a Musical Festival took
place in the Umayyad ruins. The Ruins attract a
great number of local and European tourists, specially during
the summer.
Social Life
There are three schools in Anjar. The Armenian Catholics' elementary School,
the Armenian Evangelical School (K-12), "Haratch" elementary, and Kalousd
Gulbengian College (9-12).
Anjar has an athletic club called HOMENTMEN. Basketball and Soccer are the most
popular sports in Anjar. HOMENTMEN also has girl and boy scout troops, and a marching band.
The Barouyr Sevag chapter of the cultural organization of HAMZKAYIN has its own club in
the center of the village. Theatrical and dance performances take place regularly.
HAMAZKAYIN is also active in promoting Armenian art and culture.
St. Paul Apostolic Church, "Haratch" elementary, K.
Gulbengian High School (From left to
right)
Industry
Anjar is famous for its apples. There are more than 500 apple orchards and approximately 50
vineyards in Anjar. Not all Anjarians are
farmers though. Some farmers rely on the sales of their crops as their primary source of
income.
However, the new generation of teenagers and some older people, are turning their backs to
farming and looking towards other occupations, such as manufacturing of jewelry, which is
the second largest industry in Anjar.
There is also a government sponsored fish farm in Anjar, where trout and other fresh
water fish are raised.
