Shheem

Shheem
شحيم
Shown within Lebanon
Location Lebanon
Region Mount Lebanon Governorate, Chouf District
Coordinates 33°37′28″N 35°29′06″E / 33.6244°N 35.4850°E / 33.6244; 35.4850Coordinates: 33°37′28″N 35°29′06″E / 33.6244°N 35.4850°E / 33.6244; 35.4850
Type City, town
Part of Iklim El-Khourroub
Area 8.54 km²
Height 500–900 metres
History
Cultures Roman
Associated with Abdallah, Khatib , Chaaban, Fawaz, Dahrouj,Hajjar, Hajj-Chehade, Younis, Mrad, Daher, Oueidat, Moallem, Saab
Site notes
Condition Developing town
Management It is managed by the 'Baladiya'. They take on the role of local authority.

Shheem (Arabic: شحيم‎) alternatively written as Chhim is a town in Lebanon which is located 47 kilometres south-east of Beirut. Chhim is located on 4 mountains in the Chouf region in Lebanon. It is inhabited by Sunnite Muslims and Druze. Chimm has a population of about 49,000. It is considered a city by some people. The most known families in Chhim are El Khatib , Daher, El Hajjar, Moallem, Chaaban, Fawaz, Abdallah, Hajj-Chehade, Younis, Mrad, Saab and Oueidat.

There is no confirmation about exact date of founding. However it is suggested that Chhim has been standing since the 18th century. It was definitely in place during the 19th century, although it was not necessarily as developed and huge as it is today.

Chhim is the largest Sunnite town in the Chouf region. The community lives in harmony and there have never been any issues in Chhim, despite the sectarian violence that Lebanon has suffered from the past 40 years or so. It has been in a battleground long ago when the French and British forces fought here around a century ago. Chhim has suffered from excessive building which has been ruining its nature. Chhim was built on a huge forest where wolves and hyenas lived in. However, forests still can be found in and around Chhim. The town is rich in olive trees.

Chhim is often confused within size due to many parts of it having different names; some more familiar parts of Chhim include Marj-Ali, Sahle, Jabal swed, and Jirid. These and many others are part of Chhim but have different names.

Chhim contains 11 schools, 8 of which are public. It also contains two hospitals, one of them is public, and the other is private.

Features

Chhim contains many mosques and is mostly inhabited by Sunni Muslims.

It is the site of one of many Temples of the Beqaa Valley.[1][2]

Roman Temple

The temple at Chhim faces east and has a small porch. There is a carving of the sun god Helios on one of the doorframes. Another carving portrays the image of a priest with outstretched arms.[2]

References

  1. ↑ Shehadi M. Berbary (1960). The guide to Lebanon. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  2. 1 2 George Taylor (1967). The Roman temples of Lebanon: a pictorial guide. Dar el-Machreq Publishers. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
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