CAZA:

Beqaa
900m

Etymology:

Syriac origin, "Ain guer", meaning "the flowing spring"

Located in the impressive plain of the Beqaa, the modern village of Anjar is imbued with simplicity, a certain languor and an authentic rural tranquility. The village was founded around 1939 by the Armenian families of Moussa Dagh who fled the exaction of the Turkish occupation and then gave to Anjar’s quarters the name of their villages of origin. Beyond this remarkable Armenian presence in the region, the village is home to the ruins of an ancient Umayyad city, a city founded by the Caliph Walid the first at the beginning of the 8th century and which seems to have prospered only for a few decades. Listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage site, this city is a unique testimony to the urbanism of the Umayyad civilization and is the only remnant of this era in Lebanon. A well worth visiting major archaeological site.

Must-do things
Architectural Heritage
  • The remains of the ancient Umayyad city of Anjar founded by the Caliph Walid the first in the year 705 and listed by UNESCO as a world heritage site
  • The Armenian Apostolic Church of Saint Paul
Natural Heritage
  • The fertile plain of the Beqaa
  • The Anjar Nature Reserve (Hima) declared a protected area since 2008 and which contains wetlands and marshes, an important habitat for migratory birds and globally threatened species, such as the Syrian canary, the turtle, the river otter and the swamp cat
Cultural Heritage
  • Anjar summer festival
  • The many restaurants in the village that offer Armenian specialties, including kebbeh sajiyeh, Armenian style, accompanied by a chilli puree, and trout dishes
Hiking
  • A hike from Anjar to Kfarzabad Nature Reserve (Hima) known for its swamps and many species of migratory birds
Where To Eat
  • Al-Shams: An excellent Lebanese and Armenian cuisine in a great family
    restaurant in Anjar, highly reputed in the region.
Nearby sites and villages
  • The ruins of the Roman temple Majdel Anjar dating back to the 1st century and the Ayyubid minaret in the center of the town dating back to the 12th century
  • The town of Riyak with its Wild West atmosphere and iconic abandoned train station
  • The great historic city of Zahleh, capital of the Bekaa, full of architectural attractions and where the animation is in full swing during all seasons
  • Kfarzabad Nature Reserve (Hima) known for its swamps
  • The ruins of the Roman temples of Niha dating from the first century
A little further
  • The ruins of the Roman temple of el-Dakoueh, with its unique style “windows”
  • The Roman remains in Kamed el-Loz, an ancient Phoenician city 35 times rebuilt in twenty centuries (also called Kumidi or Kanatou)
  • The labelled village of Ammiq
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