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The Glossary

Arak - "a triple-distilled spirit of grapes and is famous throughout the Middle East. It is colorless like water and tastes of aniseed which is introduced at the third distillation."

From Lebanon Glossary

The queenly town Zahle is known as the city of "Wine and Poetry," a Greek Catholic town sans the conservative, often conformist, attitude of the Baalbek, brazen with a spirit of the bustling Beirut but with a regal haste. It is also known as the bride of Beqaa Valley (Arouss El-Beqaa). Tourists and locals alike appreciate its inviting climate and mouth-watering cuisine. Aside from this, Zahle has been a playground of some 50 poets and writers who have contributed to Lebanon's cultural and political growth.

The major attraction of Zahle is the Bardaouni River known as Wadi El-Arayesh (Grape Vine Valley), which flows out of Mt. Sannine through a forested gorge shut in between tall perpendicular rocks. Its elaborate Ottoman houses line like armored sentinel guarding the riverside of Litani. Famous samples in the town provide a good glimpse of Zahle's architecture. The restored Geha house in the old town houses a vast courtyard, a manicured garden and arched upper galleries - all typical of 17th century architecture. Other private residences in the same area are the lovely Al-Hindi, Youssef Azar and Wadih Skaf houses. These are several hundred years old and have been designed with walkways and walled gardens.Many of the old buildings, embroidered by carved ceilings, vaulted interiors and ornate façades, still stand up to this day. These structures, however, are somewhat obscured by modern shop fronts, but projects of restoration are afoot in the area.

One can also test some of the famous restaurants tucked beside the river, which are popular in the evenings when dinners can become quite celebratory. Out of the city, the festive mood permeates in the Souk Al-Blatt and the Housh El-Zarani where woodworkers, weavers and saddle makers gather to trade their agricultural and industrial products.

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