Jounieh

File:CasinoduLiban.jpg]]

File:Paragliding take-off.png over the Jounieh Bay]]

The history of Jounieh goes back to the time of the Phoenicians. The town was an important trading center along the Lebanon coastline. In those days the port was an important one during winter, as it served as a safe spot for ships sailing south to Byblos. This gave the place the name of the name of "Palaebyblus" that means 'Before Byblos”. In his geographic description the Greek historian Strabo mentions this town.

The reason few remains can be seen today is due to the fact that during the Roman and Byzantine period, many buildings and structures were built over the Phoenicians buildings and some are still visible today.{{Cite web |title=JOUNIEH THE PHOENICIANS' ROUTE |url=https://lcf.lau.edu.lb/images/phoenician-jounieh.pdf |website=Lebanese American University}}

The medieval Muslim historian al-Idrisi (d. 1165) notes that Jounieh was a sea fortress whose inhabitants were Jacobite Christians.{{sfn|Strange|1890|p=466}} The Syrian geographer Yaqut al-Hamawi (d. 1226) called it a dependency of Tripoli.{{sfn|Strange|1890|p=467}}

In the sixth part of The Introduction to Jounieh in the Mid Nineteenth Century, Professor Butrus Al-Boustani said: “Jounieh is a place on the Keserwan coast which has warehouses, stores, and a dye house. Ships and boats bring supplies and its grain trade is very popular. Thus a district of the following villages: Sarba, Ghadir, and Harat Sakhr was named for it. Its total population is 2,500. Jounieh itself is not a residential area but mainly a commercial district whose workers come from neighboring towns.”{{Cite web |title=Jounie History, History of Jounie, Jounie City Information :: Traveltill.com |url=https://www.traveltill.com/destination/Lebanon/Jounie/history.php |access-date=2022-03-26 |website=Traveltill}}

Jounieh was connected with neighboring areas by roads built for carriages. So it was connected with Bkerké and beyond it during the rule of Dawud Basha, the ruler of Mount Lebanon. It was connected to Ghazir between 1867 and 1868 despite the objection of Ghazir's residents. Another road connected Jounieh to the Beirut Bridge during the rule of Rustum Basha. To the north it was connected by a carriage's road until Batroun during the rule of Wasa Basha (1883–1892). In 1892, Jounieh was connected to Beirut via a railroad that had stations between the two locations, three of which in Jounieh and its environs: Sarba, Jounieh, and Mu’amilitain at the end of the line, which facilitated the transportation of goods and passengers from and to the Governorate of Beirut. In 1876, the number of shops exceeded 300, five silk factories, three rest houses, a mill, three juice factories, an artificial ice factory, a bank known by its owner's name "Bank Baghos", and a group of small sailboat construction sites.

In 1906, according to the Guide to Lebanon by Ibrahim Beik Al-Soud, the population of Jounieh was 2,400, and it had a silk factory owned by the Nasras, a silkworms choker owned by Moussa de Franj, a silk factory owned by the heirs of Rizkallah and Abdul Ahad Khadra which had 190 wheels and produced 10,000 cocoons, 330 domestic animals, and owned 80 carriages.

According to the records of the Keserwan Governorate, the town of Ghadir, in 1914, had 433 corporations and its population was 1,263. The town of Sarba had 213 commercial institutions and its population was 1,714. In Harat Sakhr, there were 165 corporations and its population was 808. In Sahil ‘Alma, there were 21 corporations its population reached 187. Jounieh had seen noticeable prosperity after France and the Maronite Patriarchy supported the opening a port for commercial ships which became (with the Al-Nabi Younes Port on the Chouf Coast) the official port of Mount Lebanon.

{{Wide image|Jounieh At Sunset From Adma.jpg|600px|Jounieh Bay at sunset 2016}}

In 1913 and during the Mandate era, Jounieh suffered economic decline and recession as the French administration moved part of Jounieh’s administrative role to the Capital, Beirut. Also Jounieh came out of the First World War weakened by famine and economic stagnation. So several of its inhabitants were forced to move to the capital or to immigrate, and Jounieh lost most of its expertise. Its social and population development stopped, and its economic development weakened. The 1932 statistics showed 1,286 housed in Jounieh: 371 in Sarba, 434 in Ghadir, 350 houses in Harat Sakhr, and 131 in Sahil ‘Alma. This affected the building industry and records in the town hall showed very limited number of permits given from 1922-1940. The only active sectors in that period were schools, small crafts, and planting of citrus trees, sugar cane, and vegetables. This situation stayed the same until the rule of President Fuad Chehab who outfitted the city with all that it needed to become modern. Jounieh then awakened from its slumber with projects for roads, lighting, modern planning, a stadium, a tourist port, a government house, and infrastructure. The talk became of “Monte Carlo of the East” and Jounieh stood out as a bride of the Lebanese coast. In 1959, it started to attract banks, the first which were the Lebanese Commerce Bank and the Lebanese Federal Bank. By 1975 the number of banks reached six and today there are 38 banks in addition to the Lebanese Central Bank which was established in 1879.

File:Night comes to life (8278992944).jpg]]

The area also witnessed an increase in the price of land from an average of seven to nine Lebanese pounds per square meter between 1950 and 1960 to an average of 25 to 35 Lebanese pounds in 1965.

The construction sector developed slowly starting from Sarba to Harat Sakhr, and finally the coast of ‘Alma. The buildings also started expanding around the city as the agricultural sector contracted and became confined to the coasts of Kaslik and some orchards in Ghadir, Harat Sakhr and the coast of ‘Alma. In the beginning of the seventies, Jounieh was transformed to a major and complete tourist center with the tourist network around it and on its edges including: Casino du Liban, the cable cars, the Harisa Church, the caverns in Jeita, restaurants, hotels, nightclubs, and the port.

With the war of 1975, and the division of Beirut into East and West parts and the escalation of the violence, many people fled to safe areas and were organizing their lives in accordance with the new realities.

From 1980 to 1990, Jounieh witnessed a massive migration as a large number of the Beirut traders moved to its markets. Buildings took over its green spaces, and the tourist complexes took over its shores. So its features changed randomly though it benefited from the use of the tourist port for commerce.

During the Civil War the ferry making the 120 mile journey from Jounieh to Larnaca was the only way to travel in and out of Lebanon for those living in the areas controlled by Christian militias. Over the fourteen years from 1975 an estimated 990,000 Lebanese left the country, up to 40% of the population.{{cite web|url=http://www.hamline.edu/cla/academics/international_studies/diaspora2002/Lebanese/Paper.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090115011357/http://www.hamline.edu/cla/academics/international_studies/diaspora2002/Lebanese/Paper.htm |archive-date=15 January 2009 |title=Senior Seminar: Transnational Migration and Diasporic Communities |publisher=Hamline University |access-date=17 January 2013}} Van Dusenbry Chapter IV, section B “Emigration: Civil War to the Present”.

During the 1989 fighting between General Aoun and the Lebanese Forces 10,000 civilians from Beirut arrived in Cyprus over a six-week period.Middle East International No 349, 28 April 1989; Jim Muir p.9 On 24 February 1990 the ferry was attacked by an unidentified naval patrol boat. One passenger was killed and seventeen wounded.Middle East International No 370, 2 March 1990; Michael Jansen p.7{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-02-25-mn-2239-story.html|title=Ferry Shelled Off Lebanon; One Killed : Mideast: 15 others are wounded. A Syrian warship may have shot up the Cypriot vessel.|first=NICK B. WILLIAMS|last=Jr|date=February 25, 1990|website=Los Angeles Times}} In 1997 a catamaran was operating between Larnaca and Jounieh. A return ticket for the four-hour journey cost US$100. At the time the average monthly income in Lebanon was US$132.The World of Information Middle East Revue 1999 - The Economic and Business Report Walden Publishing Ltd. {{ISBN|1-86217-0134}}. Natalia Acre-Sanchez p.98 ferry, p.97 income

On 18 June 1991 six people were killed and 30 wounded after an explosion at a Lebanese Forces ammunition dump.Middle East International No 403, 28 June 1991, Publishers Lord Mayhew, Dennis Walters MP; p. 15 ‘twenty-eight days in brief’

On 7 May 2005, a car bomb exploded between the Christian Sawt al Mahaba radio station and the Mar Yuhanna Church in Jounieh. The radio station was destroyed and the church suffered major damage. Twenty-two people were wounded.{{cite news |author=Farid Emile Chedid |title=Lebanonwire, Live News Direct From Beirut, Lebanon |publisher=Lebanonwire |url=http://www.lebanonwire.com/0505/05050706AFP.asp |url-status=dead |accessdate=25 October 2012 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129052235/http://www.lebanonwire.com/0505/05050706AFP.asp |archivedate=29 November 2014}}

Today, close to 100,000 people reside in Jounieh. Those who live in its suburbs exceed that number. By the middle of the century, it is predicted that Jounieh will become a suburb of Beirut in a coastal line that forms one city that expands the length of the coastal road at a time when the inhabitants of Lebanon will reach six million plus around the year 2025. The population of Jounieh is majority Maronite.{{Cite web |url=http://www.jounieh.gov.lb/index.php |title=أهلاً وسهلاً في بلدية جونيه |access-date=2020-04-13 |archive-date=2020-02-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200203075330/http://www.jounieh.gov.lb/index.php |url-status=dead }}

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|title=Religion in Jounieh (2014) {{cite web | url=https://lub-anan.com/المحافظات/جبل-لبنان/كسروان/البلدات/ | title=بلدات قضاء كسروان في محافظة جبل لبنان }}

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{{bar percent|Christian|DarkBlue|97.71}}

{{Bar percent|Others|Gray|2.29}}

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In 2014, Christians made up 97.71% of registered voters in Jounieh. 71.19% of the voters were Maronite Catholics, 8.82% were Greek Catholics, 6.03% were Armenian Orthodox and 5.40% were Greek Orthodox.{{cite web | url=https://lub-anan.com/المحافظات/جبل-لبنان/كسروان/البلدات/ | title=بلدات قضاء كسروان في محافظة جبل لبنان }}

Jounieh is twinned with:

• {{flagicon|MON}} Monaco
• {{flagicon|FRA}} Gustavia, Saint Barthelemy, France
• {{flagicon|BRA}} Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Jounieh has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csa). In winter there is much more rainfall than in summer. The average annual temperature in Jounieh is {{convert|20.9|°C|1}}. About {{convert|873|mm|2|abbr=on}} of precipitation falls annually.

{{Weather box

|width = auto

|location = Jounieh

|metric first = Y

|single line = Y

|Jan record high C =

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|Jan high C = 14.6

|Feb high C = 15.6

|Mar high C = 18.1

|Apr high C = 21.1

|May high C = 24.9

|Jun high C = 28.0

|Jul high C = 30.2

|Aug high C = 30.4

|Sep high C = 28.8

|Oct high C = 25.9

|Nov high C = 21.3

|Dec high C = 16.8

|year high C =

|Jan mean C = 10.9

|Feb mean C = 11.8

|Mar mean C = 14.2

|Apr mean C = 17.2

|May mean C = 21.0

|Jun mean C = 24.1

|Jul mean C = 26.1

|Aug mean C = 26.3

|Sep mean C = 24.7

|Oct mean C = 21.8

|Nov mean C = 17.0

|Dec mean C = 12.9

|year mean C =

|Jan low C = 7.3

|Feb low C = 7.9

|Mar low C = 9.8

|Apr low C = 12.4

|May low C = 16.1

|Jun low C = 19.4

|Jul low C = 21.6

|Aug low C = 22.1

|Sep low C = 20.6

|Oct low C = 17.7

|Nov low C = 13.0

|Dec low C = 9.3

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|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 147

|Feb precipitation mm = 143

|Mar precipitation mm = 106

|Apr precipitation mm = 48

|May precipitation mm = 19

|Jun precipitation mm = 3

|Jul precipitation mm = 1

|Aug precipitation mm = 1

|Sep precipitation mm = 8

|Oct precipitation mm = 33

|Nov precipitation mm = 80

|Dec precipitation mm = 137

|year precipitation mm =

|Jan rain days = 10

|Feb rain days = 8

|Mar rain days = 7

|Apr rain days = 4

|May rain days = 3

|Jun rain days = 1

|Jul rain days = 0

|Aug rain days = 0

|Sep rain days = 1

|Oct rain days = 4

|Nov rain days = 6

|Dec rain days = 8

|year rain days =

|source = {{Cite web |url=https://en.climate-data.org/asia/lebanon/qada-kisrwan/jounieh-26477/ |title=Jounieh Climate: Average Temperature by month |access-date=2023-11-03 |website=Climate data}}

|date=18 January 2018}}

• Paragliding

Paragliding site in Ghosta, three minutes from Harissa. Since 1992, paragliding above Jounieh is considered one of the best outdoor activities in Lebanon.{{cite web | url=https://www.skileb.com/lebanon/paragliding/ | title=Paragliding over Jounieh }}

• Jounieh International Festival

Every summer, Jounieh International Festival hosts national and international icons, like Mika, Jessie J, Imagine Dragons, Jason Derulo and many others.{{Cite web |url=http://www.jouniehinternationalfestival.com/ |title=Jounieh International Festival |access-date=2013-11-21 |archive-date=2021-04-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411085529/https://www.jouniehinternationalfestival.com/ |url-status=dead }}

File:Harisa lebanon.jpg taking visitors to Harissa]]

• Casino du Liban

{{Main|Casino du Liban}}

Casino du Liban offers gaming and shows and is located in the northern part of Jounieh, it is also the biggest one in the Middle East.

• Lebanese Heritage Museum

{{Main|Lebanese Heritage Museum}}

Lebanese Heritage Museum displays items related to the culture and history of Lebanon.{{Cite web|url=http://www.lebaneseheritagemuseum.org/|title=lebaneseheritagemuseum.org - lebaneseheritagemuseum Resources and Information.|website=www.lebaneseheritagemuseum.org}}

• Téléphérique

{{Main|Telepherique (Jounieh)}}

The téléphérique is a gondola lift that operates between Jounieh and Harissa. It offers the passengers beautiful panoramic views of the bay of Jounieh and the coast all the way to Beirut.{{Cite web|url=https://www.teleferiquelb.com/|title=Welcome to Teleferique}}

(See Téléphérique de Jounieh page)

{{Wide image|Jounieh From Harissa.jpg|600px|Jounieh Bay From Harissa}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book|title=Palestine Under the Moslems: A Description of Syria and the Holy Land from A.D. 650 to 1500|url=https://archive.org/details/palestineundermo00lestuoft|first1=G. le |last1=Strange|author-link1=Guy Le Strange|year=1890|publisher=Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund}}

• Tourism in Lebanon
• Jounieh Municipal Stadium

{{Keserwan District}}

{{Greater Beirut}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Greater Beirut

Category:Populated places in Keserwan District

Category:Mediterranean port cities and towns in Lebanon

Category:Christian cities in Lebanon

Category:Tourist attractions in Lebanon

Category:Maronite Christian communities in Lebanon