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Zawieh Caza - Zgharta the Zgharta Zawieh online magazine |
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Mejdlaya |
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Mejdlaya is one of the oldest towns in the district. In the 16th century, Mejdlaya was mostly constituted of farms that produced grain. However, in the 17th and 18th centuries, it became famous for its production of olives and fruit. There are many stories and legends concerning this town, and despite their diversity they all conform on one point, which is that all the inhabitants of Mejdlaya had deserted it and it remained uninhabited until 1820. Western suburb of Zgharta and a cosmopolitan community inhabited by: its citizens, many “zghortiotes”, the majority of the citizens of Basloukit in winter time and a wide cosmopolitan community from all over the north of Lebanon. Click here to access an aerial view of the region of Mejdlaya. Annotations to references on the picture are below the picture. In 1849 Mejdlaya counted 52 males living in 16 houses. In 1906 it counted 200 males. In 1932 there were 109 houses in Mejdlaya. The official citizens records counted 1349 registered persons in 1998. Nearly 50% are emigrants living abroad and 63 of them did not report back. (List to the right) Education: The “Wakf” sponsored the first school in Mejdlaya, the year 1909. The school principal was Hanna Abou Greige Baiini and the teachers: Shidiac Youssef Bou Rizk (from Aitou), Youssef Bou-Lias (from Aitou), Fr. Mikhaiil Baiini… In 1920, the Lazarist father Anis opened a school for girls and of the teachers were: Cecilia Harfoush, Rita Yanni from Tripoli, Housnia Pius Baiini and Raya Maroun Baiini…The old school became then a shool for boys only and of the teachers: Badawi Abdallah from Aitou, Father Antoun from B’arzla, Ibrahim Harfoush, Daoud from Aamshit, Fr. Pius Baiini, Marie Khazen... In 1956 the Sisters of the Holy Family (I'brine) opened a school that remained prosperous till our days. The Public School came to Mejdlaya in 1952 and it is still active today (Marie Assoum, Sayed Frangieh, Daniel Arfoul). Administration: The first municipality was implemented in 1961 but two councils didn't manage to survive. In 1965 the municipal council was formed of the following: President: Felix Baiini Members: Hanna Baiini, Gerges Semaan, Hanna Deeb, Francis Khoury, Mousa Aniseh. In May 1998, two lists were running for the first municipal elections since the 1960's. A new municipal council of 9 members was elected: Elias G. Baiini (President), Raymond Lisha (Vice President), Joseph Ters, Tony Gebraiil, Semaan Baiini, Elie Rustom, Yaacoub Baiini, Teddy Lisha. The elected Mukhtar: Joseph Ghnatios Baiini. |
Below is a list of those early emigrants from Mejdlaya, although many of them, especially those born before 1898, have been removed from the records. Record Name Father's Family Date of # Name Name Birth 12 Malakeh Hanna Aakouri 1910 Henry Boutros Baiini 1929 Talal Jamil Gerges 1932 Yolande Philippe Khayat 1933 Pierre Michel Henri Baiini 1957 Alain Roland Henri Baiini 1959 Odile marie Henri Baiini 1960 14 Boutros Mikhaiil Issa 1898 Adele Habib Dieh 1910 20 Mariam Shalita Bahri 1929 Ramzah Shalita Bahri 1936 38 Rabecca Gerges Baiini 1928 Lucia Louis Baiini 1929 Cecilia Boulos Baiini 1932 Youssef Hanna Baiini 1952 60 Catherine Najib Hitti 1931 62 Latifeh Badawi Karbaj 1909 75 Candelaria Elias Zaitoun 1906 77 Khairallah Antonios Abi Khattar 1907 Bashirah Antonios Abi Khattar 1910 78 Najibeh Estephane Al Khoury 1897 George Assaad Sha'anine 1912 Toufic Assaad Sha'anine 1915 Wadih Assaad Sha'anine 1917 Boutros Assaad Sha'anine 1919 Jodephine Assaad Sha'anine 1922 79 Shahideh Youssef Remi 1910 Henriette Bakhos Hitti 1929 80 Saiid Hanna Jibrael 1905 Jamileh 1907 Jibrael Saiid Gharita 1915 90 Fouad Gerges Youssef Baiini 1915 96 Martha Antonios Deeb 1902 Raheel Mikhaiil Baiini 1925 Antonios Mikhaiil Baiini 1928 Farid Mikhaiil Baiini 1930 107 Jameson Youssef Gerges Khattar 1907 Laura James Khattar Marina James Khattar 112 Elias Antoun Baiini Francisco Elias Baiini Najibeh Elias Baiini Jose Elias Baiini Maria Elias Baiini Karimeh Elias Baiini Yvonne Elias Baiini Georgina Elias Baiini 114 Iskandar Youssef Sourour 1900 117 Michel Abdallah Abdel Ahad 1906 119 Sarkis Doumit Haykal 1899 122 Youssef Amine Zainoun 1909 123 Lucia Hanna Youssef Semaan 1900 Youssef Abdallah Thomas Youssef Abdallah 130 Antoun Yaacoub Daaboul 1911 134 Mariam Ramieh 1907 136 Najlah Hanna Lisha 1926 145 Philippe Mikhaiil Baiini 1907 Francis Mikhaiil Baiini 1914 146 Tanios Khoury Youssef 1898 Rosa Viva Dimitriou Bochina 1906 147 Lucia Hanna Deeb 1910 |
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