In Syriac, Qartaba means either the good place (ܟܘܪ ܛܒܐ) or the nice chillness (ܩܪܛܒܐ) reflecting its good, curing, and balanced weather. The town is often referred to as Byblos' Bride.[citation needed]
History
Qartaba was once considered an important village in the Byblos highland, a trade point for surrounding villages.[1] Silk manufacturing flourished and in 1918, seven factories employed more than 500 people and much of the silk was exported to Lyon, France.[1]
A column carved into the facade of two temples, with statues of members of an elite Roman family was discovered in 1940 in Qartaba, near Saint Sarkis and Bacchus Monastery. It is estimated that the statues were buried between 120 and 160 CE.
Written under the statues in Greek are the names of the family members: "Abd al-Latus", "Meli", "Cassia" and "Germanus".
Greek writings
Men's clothing reflects the influence of Roman dress, unlike women's clothing, which reflects local tradition.
"Germanus" appears to have been a priest, wearing the flat hat of a Phoenician priest, with a sprinkler in his hand for religious rituals. Germanus is still a family name present in Qartaba and is also used as a first name, particularly in Mazraat es-Siyad.
Germanus
As for "Abd al-Latus", he bears the name of a goddess whose honor was associated with the Arabs. And the names "Germanus" and "Cassia" reflect the Roman influence in the area.
There are around 19 places of Christian worship in Qartaba, including churches, monasteries, and shrines, such as:[citation needed]
Monasteries
Saint Sarkis & Bakhos Monastery
• Saint Sarkis and Bakhos Monastery, built in 1536 when the children of Sheikh Gerges fled from Aqoura to Qartaba, carrying with them the image of the two holy martyrs, Sergius and Bacchus. In cooperation with the townspeople, they built a church in the name of the aforementioned saints, which was exposed to fire and rebuilt in 1717. In the year 1815, the people of Qartaba, by a deed, presented the Church with its livelihood and property as an “eternal endowment” to the Lebanese Maronite Order, to set up a school next to it to “teach children reading, Christian education, guidance, and service of spiritual matters free of charge.” And that was through an agreement with General Father Ignatius Blebel and with the approval of Bishop Germanos Tabet. The Order agreed and completed the construction of the school in a short time. And it worked to buy the lands adjacent to it to expand the construction so that it later became a legal monastery in 1823.
Cathedrals
Saint Elias Cathedral
• Cathedral of Saint Elias, which was built in the middle of the 16th century and restored in 1556, was rebuilt twice in 1846 and 1903. Its architecture is according to a basilical plan with three naves and three altars. The cathedral holds many 19th-century paintings by Kanan Dib and Daoud Corm and is decorated by stained glass windows. The exterior of the cathedral is decorated with a bell tower with a clock.
Churches
Our Lady Of Herezmeny Church
• Church of Our Lady of Herezmeny, which was built in 1827 when the Karam family moved from Yanouh to Qartaba. The family made a deal with the sheikhs of the Hamade family to build a church in the Herezmeny land where stood some Roman ruins. In the late 19th century a vault was added to the main building that ended up with an L shape.
• Church of Saint Joseph, which was built in 1898 when Joseph Rafael Jabbour gave the land of Al Malaha to build a church.
• Church of Saint Teddy, which was built in 1607 when the family of the priest Teddy came to Qartaba from Edessa. It was built upon a parcel of land that was donated by the Hamade sheikhs. It is the only church in Lebanon dedicated to Saint Teddy. The church was rebuilt in 1868 and restored in 2004.
• Church of Saint Georges, which was built as a private chapel for the family of Moufarrej Geryes in the late 19th century and was restored in 2022, it is located in Haret El Tahta street.
Kartaba Carnival is a traditional and annual event in the town of Qartaba, which is organized by "The Qartaba Touristic and Traditional festivals" committee and is supported by the Municipality of Qartaba. It is attended by political, military, judicial, religious people and social media figures, in addition to presidents of municipalities and personalities of the town and the area of the Jbeil District.[citation needed] The carnival first started in the 1960s, and is still held to this day in the square of the village, with the attendance of people coming from all regions.[citation needed] The townspeople, of all ages, participate and cooperate together to create exhibition boards that combine traditional Lebanese music, art and culture.[citation needed] This event is free of charge. The carnival ends with a musical evening held by Lebanese artists.[citation needed]
Qartaba Carnival 1993
Institutions
Some of the most important and active official institutions in Qartaba are:
• El Saydé School, which was a private school run by the Sisters of Ibreen, and then turned into a mixed public high school.
Others
Qartaba Municipality
• The municipality of Qartaba which was established in 1894.
• (ABK) "الجمعيّة الخيّرية القرطباويّة", which was established in 1927, and is one of the first charitable societies in Lebanon that still exists, and that practices and supports the Qartabian society in various fields (medical, health, educational, and social).
Lebanon
