| Known as "Arz
el Rab" or Cedars of God, the trees are among the last
survivors of the immense forests that lay across Mount Lebanon
in ancient times. Their timber was exploited by the Assyrians,
Babylonians and Persians as well as the residents of Canaan-Phoenicia.
The wood was especially prized by Egyptians for shipbuilding
and Solomon used it for his temple.
Once the plains of Lebanon
were shaded by thick cedar forests, so it is no coincidence
that the tree is the symbol of the entire country. Today,
after centuries of persistent deforestation, the extent
of this forest heritage has been markedly reduced. The trees
however, do survive in areas and there they seem to reign
supreme. This is the case of the slopes of Jabal Makmel
that tower over the Qadisha Valley where, at an altitude
of more than 2000 meters, we come to a vast forest known
as "The Cedars." Here there are 12 trees that
are over one thousand years old, and about 400 that are
more than one hundred.
The forest is rigorously
protected. It is possible to tour it escorted by an authorized
guide. Recently, after a preliminary phase in which the
land was cleared of detritus, the sick plants treated, and
the ground fertilized, a massive reforestation program was
undertaken. The fruits of these efforts, will only be appreciable
in a few decades since cedars grow so slowly. In these areas
the winter offers incredible scenery, the trees are covered
with a blanket of snow.
|
North Lebanon:
