Bhamdoun
Bhamdoun, Lebanon
About
is a town in Lebanon 23 kilometers (14 mi) from Beirut on the main road that leads to Damascus, lying at an altitude of 1,100 meters (3,609 ft) above the Lamartine valley. Two separate villages compose the town, Bhamdoun-el-mhatta (literally meaning "Bhamdoun the station") and Bhamdoun-el-day'aa ("Bhmadoun the village"). A railroad used to link Bhamdoun to Beirut with the train station being a prominent feature of the town for many years. The station and railroad were eventually abandoned when cars became more popular. The population is mostly Orthodox Christian. Before the Lebanese civil war, Bhamdoun was one of Lebanon's most renowned and favorite summer resorts. Today, the town has regained some of its past touristic industry as most of its hotels, restaurants and entertainment centers have been renovated or rebuilt. Tourists, especially from the Gulf region who once knew Bhamdoun, are returning to spend their summer vacation there. Many have also purchased houses or built their own. It has five churches, three mosques and one synagogue. There are two Greek Orthodox churches, one Maronite, one Protestant, and one Catholic. During the civil war, all five churches were destroyed by the Druze militia of Jumblatt's Progressive Socialist Party, but they have since been rebuilt. The synagogue, one of three in all of Lebanon was abandoned shortly before the civil war, but still stands.
