Barja is a town in the Chouf area, Mount Lebanon. Chouf App is a utility app for Chouf-area residents — it connects Barja with Chouf-based stores for shopping and with a directory of trusted local trades.
elevation ~310 m · area ~7.29 km²
Barja is a town in the Chouf District of Mount Lebanon at about 310 m above sea level roughly 30 km from Beirut. Its land covers about 7.29 km².
Freiha considered the name Barja to derive from the Greek Tabarja, meaning 'capital, town and seat of a ruler'. Tradition holds it was 'barr al-laja' ('land of refuge') which was altered to Barja. Discovered antiquities, including a Baalbek-style statue of Jupiter found near Kafar Jzin, support the first interpretation.
أبو ريش، أبو علفة، البابا، بدر، البربير، برغوت، بروش، البزري، بشاشة، بقيلي، بكري، ترّو، توفيق، جعيد، جنون، الجوزو، حاج، حدادة، الحكيم، حلق، حمادة، حميّة، حوحو، الخطيب، دحبور، دقدوقي، دمج، رمضان، زعرت، زين، سراج، سعد، سعيفان، السيّد، سيف الدين، شبّو، شمعة، الطحش، عرفات، عزام، عمّار، غزيّل، غصن، غوش، قزي، قعقور، قمّوع، كجك، لمع، معاد، المعوش، ياسين، يقظان، البستاني، جحا، غطّاس، الهاشم
~33 km from Beirut · ~25 min drive
The town of Barja is in the Chouf district of Mount Lebanon, Lebanon, at around 310 m elevation.
Barja is about 33 km from Beirut, roughly a 25-minute drive.
Freiha considered the name Barja to derive from the Greek Tabarja, meaning 'capital, town and seat of a ruler'. Tradition holds it was 'barr al-laja' ('land of refuge') which was altered to Barja. Discovered antiquities, including a Baalbek-style statue of Jupiter found near Kafar Jzin, support the first interpretation.
Families associated with Barja include: أبو ريش, أبو علفة, البابا, بدر, البربير, برغوت, بروش, البزري, بشاشة, بقيلي, بكري, ترّو, توفيق, جعيد, جنون, الجوزو, حاج, حدادة, الحكيم, حلق, حمادة, حميّة, حوحو, الخطيب, دحبور, دقدوقي, دمج, رمضان, زعرت, زين, سراج, سعد, سعيفان, السيّد, سيف الدين, شبّو, شمعة, الطحش, عرفات, عزام, عمّار, غزيّل, غصن, غوش, قزي, قعقور, قمّوع, كجك, لمع, معاد, المعوش, ياسين, يقظان, البستاني, جحا, غطّاس, الهاشم.
Notable people connected to Barja include Sheikh Ahmad Al-Bazri, Sheikh Mohammad Ali Al-Jozo, Alaa al-Din Charq, Dr. Ali Toufic Saad, Dr. Salem Maarouf Al-Maouch.
Barja is one of the seventeen municipalities that form the Union of Municipalities of Iqlim El-Kharroub El-Chamali — the northern half of the Iqlim El-Kharroub belt of Chouf District. The union takes Mazboud as its seat and runs from Jiyeh and Rmaileh on the Mediterranean up to roughly 795 metres at Daraya and Aanout on its eastern, mountainous edge. Within the union, Barja is named for the archaeological ruins counted among the area's heritage assets.
Source: UN-Habitat Lebanon (2023), A Road Map Towards a Socioeconomic Development Plan for the Union of Municipalities of Iqlim El-Kharroub El-Chamali, funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation.