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Cars in Zgharta

It is somehow difficult to define the date of the first time a car came to Zgharta. Some said that the first time a car appeared in Zgharta Zawieh was in the summer of 1920 in the village of Aintourine. By the beginning of the 1920ies, seeing a car became familiar.

Tannous Ghnatios Franjieh & friends

Gebran Nahas in front of Hotel Palace

Mehsen Shalhoub, an emigrant in the USA, came back home to Zgharta in 1921 and brought the first car, a Ford, to Zgharta. Wooden seats were added to the car so it may carries more passengers and it became the first taxi cab in the region.

The next years many citizens bought more cars and the pioneer drivers from Zgharta were: Michel Shalhoub, Youssef Ighnatios Franjieh, Gerges Zakhia Douayhi, Elias Kaawi, Khalil Kabalane Franjieh, Michel Kaadou, Mehsen Kawal, Bashir Roumieh, Tannous Roumieh, Boutros Kaadou (Nouri), Hamid Jitani, Fouad Kaadou, Jabbour Jitani, Hanna Jitani, Hanna Aakouri, Gerges Shucri Karam (the first truck), Gerges Antar, Shafeh Mouawad, Salam Mouawad …

A wedding convoy in 1955

Jawad Moawad in the late 30s

Waiting to take the bride in 1955

Jawad Moawad in the late 30s

Midane Ehden in the 1950's

Some figures about the cars in Lebanon in the 1920ies