Byblos District (; transliteration: Qadaa' Jbeil), also called the Jbeil District (Jbeil is Lebanese Arabic for "Byblos"; standard Arabic Jubail), is a district (qadaa) of the Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate of Lebanon. It is located to the northeast of Lebanon's capital Beirut. The capital is Byblos. The rivers of al-Madfoun and Nahr Ibrahim form the district's natural northern and southern borders respectively, with the Mediterranean Sea bordering it from the west and Mount Lebanon from the east, separating it from the adjacent district of Baalbek in the Beqaa Valley.

Demographics The district's population is predominantly Maronite Catholic, followed by a Shia Muslim minority community. The largest towns of the district are predominantly inhabited by Maronites; notably Byblos, Qartaba, Aqoura and Amsheet. Most Shia Muslims live in the villages of Almat, Ras Osta, Hjoula and Bichtlida, and in the jurd highlands of Lassa, Afqa and Mazraat es-Siyad. A Greek Orthodox minority forms part of the population and is spread among several villages know locally as qornet el-roum (the corner of the Greek Orthodox). The villages that make up qournet el-roum are Mounsef, Jeddayel, Bekhaaz, Berbara, Gharzouz, Rihanneh and Chikhane.

According to registered voters in 2014:

Year Christians Muslims Druze Total Maronites Greek Orthodox Greek Catholics Armenian Orthodox Other Christians Total Shias Sunnis Druze2014https://lub-anan.com/المحافظات/جبل-لبنان/جبيل/المذاهب/ 2018 2022 2026

Number of registered voters (21+ years old) over the years. +YearsMenWomenTotalGrowth (%)200938,70836,87775,585201039,032 37,115 76,147 +0.74% 201138,898 37,106 76,004 -0.19% 201239,348 37,545 76,893 +1.16% 201339,932 37,968 77,900 +1.29% 201440,393 38,430 78,823 +1.17% 201540,816 38,839 79,655 +1.04% 201641,205 39,429 80,634 +1.21% 201741,630 39,864 81,494 +1.06% 201842,211 40,289 82,500 +1.22% 201942,619 40,658 83,277 +0.93% 202043,059 41,043 84,102 +0.98% 202143,423 41,327 84,750 +0.76% 202243,965 41,719 85,684 +1.09% 202344,114 41,889 86,003 +0.37% 202444,490 42,159 86,649 +0.75% 202544,676 42,447 87,123 +0.54% 2026 87,820 +0.79% Source: DGCS

Electoral constituency Byblos District has three seats allocated to it in the Lebanese Parliament. Two of these seats are allocated to Maronite Catholics, while the other seat is allocated to Shia Muslims.

Landmarks and sights The Byblos District rises from 0 to 2,300 meters above sea level in the north. "Jabal el-Mnaitra" is also in the district, and said to have an altitude of 2,911/2,807 meters above sea level, but this isn't confirmed. Moreover, The District hosts a number of significant sites. The capital Byblos is an important historical and archaeological site boasting Phoenician, Roman, and Crusader ruins. The mountain village of Aannaya hosts the Saint Maroun-Aannaya monastery and the Catholic shrine of Saint Charbel (1828-1898), the first Lebanese saint (officially canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1977), both significant religious Maronite Christian holy sites. The village of Laqlouq, which has an altitude of 1,750 meters to 2,000 meters, is a ski resort. The village of Afqa contains the Afqa grotto, which is the source of the Nahr Ibrahim, also known as the Adonis River. The village of Bentaël (also spelled Bintaael) contains the first protected area in Lebanon, established in 1981. The village of Jaj hosts surviving cedar trees from the ancient cedar forests from which cedar wood was exported to Egypt and later to Jerusalem. The village Chikhane is considered the birthplace of the first Russian school in the Middle East, believed to have been established during World War I. The village of Hjoula is among the very rare villages in Lebanon to contain fossilized sea animals in it, along the village of Haqel. Byblos District also has a notable beach life with many public and private resorts existing along the seaside.

Towns and villages

List and location of the 98 towns and villages in the Byblos district:

01 Fghal 02 Kfar Kiddeh 03 Chmout 04 Berbara 05 Maad 06 Bekhaaz 07 Ain Kfaa 08 Mayfouq 09 Bejjeh 10 Mounsef 11 Gharzouz 12 Al Kattara 13 El Kharbeh 14 Tartej 15 Ghalboun 16 Chikhan 17 Hsarat and Richkif 18 Haqel 19 Rihaneh 20 Chamat 21 Ramout 22 Lehfed 23 Obeidat 24 Hosrayel 25 Jeddayel 26 Beithabbak 27 Sakiet el Kheit 28 Jaj 29 Hbaline 30 Ghorfine 31 Kfoun 32 Kafr and El Harf 33 Arab El Haib 34 Saki Rechmaya 35 Habil 36 Behdidat 37 Kfar Mashoun and Dmalsa 38 Amsheet 39 Birket Hjoula 40 Kfar Hitta 41 Mish Mish 42 Bentaël (Fdar El Soufla) 43 Edde 44 Laqlouq 45 Hjoula 46 Bichtlida 47 Hboub 48 Ehmej 49 Byblos 50 Kfar Qouas 51 litij 52 Mehrin 53 Brayj 54 Aqoura 55 Ras Osta 56 Mazraat es-Siyad 57 Kfar Baal (Annaya) 58 Jlisseh 59 Sirin 60 Qartaboun 61 Almat el-Chmaliyeh 62 Blat 63 Tourzaiya 64 Mghayreh 65 Almat el-Jnoubiyeh 66 Tedmor and Serghal 67 Mastita 68 Jouret El Qattine 69 Bchilleh 70 Ferhet 71 Fidar 72 Yanouh 73 Deir Mar Sarkis 74 Zebdin 75 Bazyoun 76 Souaneh 77 Balhoss 78 Hsoun 79 Qartaba 80 Hedayne 81 Alita 82 Ain ed-Delbeh 83 Halat 84 Frat 85 Fatreh and Bir-el-Haït 86 Majdel 87 Seraaita 88 Ain Jrain 89 Ain el-Ghouaybeh 90 Mechane 91 Adonis and Sannour 92 Janneh 93 Ghabat 94 Qorqraiya 95 Lassa 96 Nahr Ibrahim 97 Afqa 98 Qahmez

References