|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Perched on a hill of the littoral of Kesrouan, between Beirut and Byblos, overlooking the sea, Zouk Mikaël is a small Lebanese city of 308 hectares. It considered also as a village located on the Lebanese coast, 14 km far away from Beirut.
It is undoubtedly a tourist attraction because of its location between the cave of Jeita (Jeita Grotto) and the ruins of the town of Jbeil.
Divided into two by the national motorway Beirut /Tripoli, it is bordered in the west by the Mediterranean Sea and the east by the mountains of Kesrouan.
Zouk Mikaël would have been founded at the beginning of the XIV century. It acquired notoriety for its production of high quality silk. The “Souk” (market) of the city was considered one of the most important markets of the area, and Zouk Mikaël was famous for the weaving of silk; the economic growth of the city was at its apogee.
The village
Historians recall the creation of Zouk Mikaël at the beginning of the 14th century. Traditional houses from stone and red bricks that have preserved their ancientness surround until today the Old Souk. Churches and historical monasteries were built since 1709 and scatter out of the seven hills of Zouk Mikaël, overhanging by their location the Mediterranean.
The Zouk today
The Municipality renovated in 1983 the Old Souk by adding “Al Hirafi”, a complex dedicated to the working craftsmen and their creations, a Roman theatre and a public garden.
In the pedestrians’ lanes of the Souk, many cultural events are organized such as Christmas, St Valentine, the music festival and the summer festival of the artists and artisans.
Zouk Mikaël deserved its title of “Flowered City” thanks to the care given to its lanes and roundabouts generously planted and maintained.
Moreover, Zouk Mikaël, as a main attraction, offers to the tourists all the services through its clubs, cinemas, hotels, banks, businesses and balneal centers.
|
|
|
|
|
Elected in 2004, the municipal council, headed by its Mayor Me Nouhad Naufal, is formed by 17 members of different occupations and specializations in an attempt to fulfill all the inhabitants’ needs and desires:
 |
Lawyer Nouhad NAUFAL:
Mayor of Municipality of Zouk Mikaël |
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
M. Elie BEAINO |
M. Wafic TRAD |
Ing. Jean TABET |
Dr. Maroun MASSAAD |
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
M. Antoine SALAME |
Me. Nouhad AKIKI |
M. Nabil KATTAN |
M. Joseph KMEID |
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
M. Georges SALAMOUNI |
M. Antoine KHALIL |
M. Habib AOUDE |
M. Georges HANTOUCHE |
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
M. Maroun DARWICHE |
Mme. Salam CHOUKEIR |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
M. Carlos ABI NADER |
M. Charbel NADER |
M. Elias KHALIL |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
In an attempt to vivify the cultural life in Zouk Mikaël, the municipal council decided to fund the Municipal cultural centre which will be responsible of all cultural activities.
Composed of journalists, poets and writers, the committee of the centre was formed on the 27th of April 1995. The committee organizes on regular bases conferences and meetings in the press room about many various subjects such as environment, chronic diseases, SIDA, drugs, etc.
Also, the centre suggests some meetings with poets and writers about their works in order to let the inhabitants participate in the cultural life and get to debate together.
Municipal Arts Center
The city council of Zouk Mikaël formed an independent cultural committee under the name of “Municipal Arts Center” under the authority of the municipality of Zouk Mikaël.
It was the Mayor, Me Nouhad Naufal, ho initiated the foundation of such a center in collaboration with the priests, the managers of the clubs and many activists in the cultural field. The Mayor also drew up a special law for the center defining its capacities, its role and its activities.
Mr. Antoine Salameh, member of the city council, was chosen to be in charge of the administration and the monitoring of this center.
Activities of the Center:
The Old Souk is known for its Lebanese artisanal and artistic products. It is directed and supervised by Mrs Salam Choucair, member of the city council, who organizes each summer “The Nights of the Old Souk” which last for approximately one month.
A documentary by Leyla Berri on the past and the present of Zouk Mikaël, “Zouk Mikaël, the White Period”, with a duration of 33 minutes was prepared. The text is available in three languages: Arabic, French and English, and is commented by Antoine Salameh.
The publication of some touristy brochures and articles in Arabic, French and English, (“Zouk Mikaël, City for Peace for the Arab States” and “Zouk Mikaël Flowered City”), as well as a book entitled: “Zouk Mikaël in the Memory of Nouhad Naufal” containing in, both languages, Arabic and French, the speeches, articles and conferences of Me Nouhad Naufal between 1966 and 2004 and some oh his speeches about Zouk Mikaël during different national occasions.
The house of the poet Elias Abou Chabké was transformed into a museum which preserves all the elements of the life and his work.
The composition of “Fiftieth of Abou Chabké” is a work in collaboration with the committee of the Odyssey and Notre Dame University of Louaizé.
By having a well done archive, all references are available for each student drawing up a study on Zouk Mikaël.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|