Ehmej

Introduction
Known for its nature and population, Ehmej is a beautiful village located in the mountains of Jbeil. Because
of its location between numerous forests, the word Ehmej has two probable origins: the first one is
“Aramaic”, which means hidden, and the second one is “Syriac”, which means the top of the valley. This
village being strategically located in Jbeil, has numerous highways connecting the region and the Mount
Lebanon Governorate to:
– Northern Bekaa governorate, passing through Jbeil-Ehmej, Laklouk, and Akoura to Baalbek.
– The governorate of Northern Lebanon, passing via Ehmej, Laklouk, Tannourin, Hadath Al-Hebeh, and Al-
Arz.
Ehmej, which stretches between Anaya and Laklouk, is known for its perplexing nature. Forests cover over
70% of the country's land. It is also a haven for a wide range of plants and fauna. Iris, oak, juniper, and
Malloul, as well as wild animals and birds such as foxes, hyenas, and others…
This village has 13 churches, 28 families (Al-Khoury, Khalife, Gebrayel, Abi Ramia, Barakat, Zakhia, Abi
Semaan, Al-Ghobri, Ziady, Abi Younes, Daher, Abi Khalil, Abi Saad, Abi Awad, Kostantin, Al-Hayek, Abi
Issa, Al-Kossaifi, Abi Sleiman, Al-Mujaber, Hardan, Maroun, Bechara, Matta, Koberyanos, Iliya, Nkoula,
Moussa.), and 3 schools (The school of Our Lady of the Rock – the Maronite Sisters of the Holy Family
(primary), Ehmej Official School (primary and secondary education).
And finally, August 14th is Assumption Day. Because the town's church is named Church Our Lady of the
Rock, it is considered the most important celebration in Ehmej. This is a really memorable day for the
villagers. They used to congregate in the church's square to prepare the customary "Hrisseh, or Kamhieh."
This ceremony is attended by all villagers without exception.

Tourism
Because of the number of old churches, and the huge amount of nature, tourists consider ehmej as
religious tourism, and ecotourism village to visit.
For the religious tourism it’s wonderful to visite these 3 old churches:
- The church of our Lady of the Rock: The Church of Our Lady of the Rock (Rock) was named for the
cliff on which it was built, which is 50 meters high. The church was reconstructed after it was burned down
in 1676. Construction began in 1900 and ended in 1920 when residents returned to Ehmej.
- saint George’s church: Saint George's Church is located on a steep hill in Northern Ehmej, in the so-
called Bkarta. It is believed that, like other churches, it was built over the ruins of an ancient pagan temple.
When the Shiites ruled Ehmej, many Shiite households lived near the church. They sold their possessions
to the monks and several locals when they left the area.
- saint Michael church: Ain Al Dayr is home to Saint Michael's Church. It is extremely old, having been
constructed in 1884 A.D.
Residents of Ehmej, who are known for supporting one another, recently renovated it.
- saint Charbel Annaya

For the ecotourism, you can’t go to ehmig without à walk in these places
- al aazra forest
- asar der kadim
- ehmeg trail: wich is the “LMT”
New Projects
After we visited this wonderful Village, we conclude that people of Ehmej has to give life to Ehmej in the
winter, by making winter events, new winter hikes, new winter sports activities, job opportunities, like winter
moone, etc.
Also, we saw that the village needs more care from the people, especially for the environment.
And here they can make new projects, like electricity panels, recycling plans.
Finally, people there make a lot of products, so it’s good to sell these products outside the village also.

Conclusion:
Ehmej is a great adventure to live in and holds many amazing places that must be explored. Its nature, its
aesthetics, its history, its culture, and people,... all make Ehmej a gemstone for tourism. Quality home to all,
Ehmej contributes to adding more specialty and beauty to our country. We should work towards giving this
village more life during the winter seasons, develop and create more job opportunities, and take care of its
natural environment. You won’t regret giving Ehmej a shot, as it is truly special. You will fall in love with
every aspect of it, and who knows what u may discover while wandering around its roads?