Qartaba

Qartaba ܩܪܛܒܐ | قرطبا
Town
Qartaba Location within Lebanon
Coordinates: 34°06′N 35°51′E / 34.100°N 35.850°E / 34.100; 35.850
Country	Lebanon
Governorate	Keserwan-Jbeil
District	Byblos District
Government
• Body	Qartaba Municipality
• Mayor	Fadi Martinos
Area
• Total	8.5 km2 (3.3 sq mi)
Elevation	1,250 m (4,100 ft)
Highest elevation	1,600 m (5,200 ft)
Population
• Total	5,000
• Density	590/km2 (1,500/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code	1401
Dialing code	+961
Website	Official webpage

Qartaba (Arabic: قرطبا, Syriac: ܩܪܛܒܐ, also spelled Kartaba or Artaba) is a town in the mountains of the Byblos District of the Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate, Lebanon. It is located 57 kilometers north Beirut on the mountains above Byblos at an average altitude of 1,250 meters.^[1] Qartaba is surrounded by olive groves, apple orchards, and vineyards.^[2]

In Semitic languages (specifically Syriac, Qar means Settlement and Taba means good. (ܟܘܪ ܛܒܐ) or (ܩܪܛܒܐ) due its good, curing, and balanced weather. The town is often referred to as Byblos' Bride.

Qartaba was once considered an important village in the Byblos highland, a trade point for surrounding villages.^[1] Silk manufacturing flourished and in 1918, seven factories employed more than 500 people and much of the silk was exported to Lyon, France.^[1]

A column carved into the facade of two temples, with statues of members of an elite Roman family was discovered in 1940 in Qartaba, near Saint Sarkis and Bacchus Monastery. It is estimated that the statues were buried between 120 and 160 CE.

Written under the statues in Greek are the names of the family members: "Abd al-Latus", "Meli", "Cassia" and "Germanus".

Men's clothing reflects the influence of Roman dress, unlike women's clothing, which reflects local tradition.

"Germanus" appears to have been a priest, wearing the flat hat of a Phoenician priest, with a sprinkler in his hand for religious rituals. Germanus is still a family name present in Qartaba and is also used as a first name, particularly in Mazraat es-Siyad.

As for "Abd al-Latus", he bears the name of a goddess whose honor was associated with the Arabs. And the names "Germanus" and "Cassia" reflect the Roman influence in the area.

The statues are now located in the National Museum of Beirut.

The inhabitants of Qartaba are predominantly Maronite Catholics.^[3] As of 2009, the religious make-up of the Qartaba's 6309 voters were roughly 99% Maronite Catholics (6247 voters), 0.8% Melkite Catholics (50 voters) and 0.2% Greek Orthodox (12 voters).

The main families of Qartaba are: Acar, Atallah, Beyrouthy, Challita, Gharios, Karam, Khoury, Sakr, Sawaya, Sokhen and Soueid.^{[citation needed]}

• Saint Sarkis and Bakhos Monastery was built in 1536 when the children of Sheikh Gerges fled from Aqoura to Qartaba, bringing with them an image of the holy martyrs, Saints Sergius and Bacchus. With the help of the townspeople, they built a Church dedicated to these Saints, which was later destroyed by fire and rebuilt in 1717. In 1815, the people of Qartaba gifted the Church and its property as an “eternal endowment” to the Lebanese Maronite Order. This endowment was intended to establish a school to provide free education in reading, Christian teachings, guidance, and spiritual services. This agreement was made with General Father Ignatius Blebel and approved by Bishop Germanos Tabet. The Order promptly completed the school and purchased adjacent lands to expand the construction, eventually establishing the site as a legal monastery in 1823.

• The Cathedral of Saint Elias, originally constructed in the mid-16th century and restored in 1556, underwent two major rebuilds in 1846 and 1903. Designed in a basilical plan, the cathedral features three naves and three altars. It houses numerous 19th-century paintings by Kanan Dib and Daoud Corm, and is adorned with stained glass windows. The exterior is highlighted by a bell tower with a clock, adding to its architectural splendor.

• The Church of Our Lady of Herezmeny was built in 1827 when the Karam family relocated from Yanouh to Qartaba. They reached an agreement with the Hamade sheikhs to construct the Church on the herezmeny land, which housed Roman ruins. In the late 19th century, a vault was added to the main building, giving it an L-shaped structure.

• Church of Saint Joseph was built in 1898 when Joseph Rafael Jabbour gave the land of Al Malaha to build it.

• Church of Saint Teddy, built in 1607 when the family of the priest Teddy came to Qartaba from Edessa. It was built upon a parcel of land that was donated by the Hamade sheikhs. It is the only church in Lebanon dedicated to Saint Teddy. The church was rebuilt in 1868 and restored in 2004.

• Church of Saint Georges was built as a private chapel for the family of Moufarrej Geryes in the late 19th century and was restored in 2022, it is located in Haret El Tahta street.

• Church of Saint Challita, built in 1925.

• Church of Saint Semaan Al Aamoudy, built in 2003.

• Church of Our Lady of the Annunciation

• Church of Saint Thérèse

• Church of Saint Charbel - Al Khalle

• Church of Saint Charbel - Charbineh

• Church of Saint Charbel - Chmis Street, built in 2017.

• Church of Saint Elias - Hsayya

• Church of Our Lady of Tenderness

• Church of Saint Rita, built in 2013

• Shrine of Our Lady of Peace

• Shrine of Saint Challita

• Shrine of Saint Veronica Giuliani

The Kartaba Carnival is an annual and cherished event in the town of Qartaba, organized by the "Qartaba Touristic and Traditional Festivals" committee with support from the Municipality. It attracts a diverse array of attendees, including political, military, judicial, and religious figures, as well as social media influencers, municipal presidents, and notable personalities from Qartaba and the Jbeil District. The carnival, which began in the 1960s, continues to be held in the village square, drawing visitors from all regions. The local community, comprising people of all ages, comes together to create vibrant exhibition boards showcasing traditional Lebanese music, art, and culture. This event is free to attend and concludes with a musical evening featuring performances by Lebanese artists.

• Don Bosco School, the first school established by the Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco in Lebanon.

• El Saydé School, which was a private school run by the Sisters of Ibreen and then turned into a mixed public high school.

• The Municipality of Qartaba, established in 1984.

• (ABK) "الجمعيّة الخيّرية القرطباويّة", established in 1927 and is one of the first charitable societies in Lebanon that still exists, and that practices and supports Qartaba's society in various fields (medical, health, educational and social).

• Brotherhood of the Heart of Jesus

• Brotherhood of the Immaculate Conception

• Trial court

• Center for the Internal Security Forces

• Public hospital

• Civil Defense Center

• Dr. Fares Souaid, politician, former MP and Secretariat General Coordinator of the March 14 Alliance.

• Nouhad Souaid, former MP.

• Joseph Sakr, singer and stage actor.

• Adel Karam, actor, comedian and TV presenter.

• Dr. Bechara Khoury, president of Notre Dame University-Louaize.

• Rachel Karam, senior reporter.

• Jean Nakhoul, journalist and executive producer.

• Nadim Cherfan, choreographer and founder of The Mayyas.

• Anthony Khoury, founder and lead singer of Adonis (band).

• Kartaba - Byblos' Bride