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NIHA-BATROUN-LEBANON
The website is devoted to the courageous and adventurous descendants of Niha.
Website launched on: 9 February 2012…last update 9 february 2026
On the Feast Day of St Maroun, Patron Saint of the Maronite Church
“From the dawn of civilisation, the Cedars of Lebanon have stood as enduring symbols of human history—shaping empires, inspiring faith, and defining landscapes; prized by the Pharaohs for their temples and pyramids, harvested by the Phoenicians to build their legendary fleets, and revered within the sacred scriptures of the Abrahamic faiths.
The ancient cedar forests of Arz Niha, Batroun, carry this unbroken legacy in their roots. Today, this legacy lives on through the people of Niha—its residents and its far-reaching diaspora—who honour this inheritance by transforming their treasured forests and ancestral lands into a protected and sustainable mountain village for generations to come.”
KEY PERSONAL
- Priest of Niha – Father Charbel Tannous +961 70 921 046
- Mukhtar of Niha – Shallita “Mutran” Tannous +961 03 575 226
- Mayor of Niha Municipality – Youssef Fahed +961 70 143 040 fahed@gmail.com
- Australian Niha Association – President George Azzar +61 418 600 048
- Accommodation – Cedar Scent Guesthouse – +961 70 233 511 cedar-secent.com/en
INTRODUCTION
Niha-A Village Written in Stone, Faith and Memory
“For any visitor, Niha may appear at first as a modest mountain village among many in Lebanon — yet it is a piece of heaven on earth. It possesses that rare and ineffable quality whereby, if you sit upon its ground beneath the shade, the stones will speak and tell you stories of the past. The oaks and cedars will embrace you with the tenderness of their branches, while the springs whisper sweet melodies rising from the very heart of the earth. Niha is more than special — it is unique and majestic in its simplicity.”
May 2013 Jean Claude Haikel
Niha is a village of exceptional historical and spiritual significance, nestled within the steep alpine terrain of the Batroun district in northern Lebanon. Its landscape shelters ancient Phoenician and Roman temple remains alongside Christian places of worship spanning from the early centuries of the faith to the present day — enduring landmarks that bear witness not only to the village’s sought-after mountain climate, but to its isolated, breathtaking and faith-inspiring setting.
Positioned within a strategic mountain terrain, Niha has witnessed centuries of struggle, survival and resistance —the people of Niha have maintained with quiet pride a rich inheritance of social, cultural and religious tradition, much of which has remained intact across generations.
Over the past two centuries, many villagers have emigrated to Lebanon’s coastal cities or departed overseas, joining the broader Lebanese diaspora across the world., Niha’s sons and daughters carried with them a resolute determination to succeed and to build better futures for their children. Like so many Lebanese communities abroad, the descendants of Niha have distinguished themselves across trades and professions, earning the respect and admiration of their adopted countries.
Acknowledgement is warmly extended to the Niha descendants whose contributions have helped shape this publication, in particular Professor Bernard Haykel in the United States. Sincere thanks are also offered to Reverend Father Dr Antoine Tarabay and the staff of the Maronite Centre for Research and Strategic Studies in Sydney, for their generous support, guidance and encouragement.
Today, Niha stands at a pivotal moment in its long history. Renewed local leadership, a deepening commitment to environmental stewardship, and a collective desire to safeguard the village’s cedar landscapes, sacred heritage and living traditions have given rise to a forward-looking vision for sustainable rural development. — a strategic programme designed to protect Niha’s natural environment, strengthen its cultural heritage, improve infrastructure, and foster engagement with the diaspora and the broader international community.
WELCOME MESSAGE
” Welcome to the website of the beautiful village of Niha”.
This website is one of the projects supported by St Charbel’s Maronite Centre for Research and Strategic Studies. The Centre, founded in 2011, aims to raise an awareness and knowledge amongst the Maronite generations emerging in Australia about the historical value and heritage of the Maronite Church to strengthen the unity and correlation between them in the expansion with the Maronites of Lebanon.
The website fulfils these objectives by providing a gateway through which non-Arabic speakers, of Lebanese and other nationalities, can learn more about Niha and its history. It also provides an opportunity for Lebanese residents and immigrants abroad to communicate through this website and support projects and developments in their home country and village.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the people who designed and prepared this website especially George El-Khouri. I have always witnessed his great love for Lebanon and for Niha, in particular, and his enthusiasm to give back to the country of his ancestors whenever possible.
(Ezekial 17:22-26):
“From the top of the cedar, from the highest branch I will take a shoot and plant it myself on a very high mountain. This branch will bear fruit and become a noble cedar”.
I hope you enjoy going through this website and learning more about Niha, its history, environment and its people.
God bless.
Rev. Fr. Dr. Antoine Tarabay
Rector of St Charbel’s Church, Monastery and College, Sydney Australia (09/02/2012)
Currently Bishop Antoine-Charbel Tarabay. OLM is the Maronite Catholic Bishop
of the Maronite Eparchy of Saint Maron, Australia and New Zealand
BELOW VIDEOS ON NIHA