Akkar

Akkar is a district in the North of Lebanon, right on the border to Syria. It has about 200 thousand inhabitants and an area of 788 km2 - which, for the sake of comparison, is less than half the size of Greater London. Akkar's capital is the historic town of Alba, with a population of 4500, but Bebnin is the district's largest city. As most of Lebanon, Akkar District too is truly multi-cultural, the biggest religious groups being Sunni Muslims, Maronite Catholics, and Greek Orthodox Christians, who all live together in a long-established, traditional atmosphere of tolerance.

Akkar is very attractive for tourists - not only is there the beautiful Mediterranean Sea, but there are also high mountains in the Eastern part of the district.

So sport fans can keep themselves active - no matter if they prefer aquatic sports or mountain-related activities like rock climbing. History buffs too will find the district very appealing, as it doesn't only have a multitude of very old towns and villages, but also many important Roman and Arabic archaeological sites. The fact that the climate is warm and mild is also quite helpful. Not far from Akkar, there is the "Holy Valley" (which mostly goes by the name of Kadisha Valley), a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This valley may well deserve to be considered sacred - it combines a gorgeous scenery with a wealth of ancient Christian monuments like monasteries, many of which are still in use.

It is clear that Akkar District has not yet fulfilled its full potential. With the Lebanese civil war being a thing of the past and the country, mostly through free-market reforms, at last truly arriving at the age of globalization, the future is clearly about to begin for Akkar.