Bechtfine is a town in the Chouf area, Mount Lebanon. Chouf App is a utility app for Chouf-area residents — it connects Bechtfine with Chouf-based stores for shopping and with a directory of trusted local trades.
elevation ~455 m · area ~2 km²
Bechtfine lies in the Chouf District at about 600 m elevation, roughly 24 km from Beirut via Aley or via Damour. Its land covers about 2 km², planted with pears, apricots, peaches, janarik plums, grapevines, figs, almonds and citrus. Its irrigation source is Ain ed-Daya, built by Emir Bashir Shihab II ("the Great"), supplemented by roughly ten private springs mostly used for irrigation. About 1,000 residents are registered, of whom approximately 980 are voters. Druze families include Abou Rjass, Abou Akar, Azrafil, Jaafar, Chouhayb, Daw and Fayyad.
Per Freyha, the most logical reading of Bechtfine is Syriac 'Beth Shawtafin', meaning the place of partners and sharecroppers, from the verb 'shawtaf' (to share/divide) still used in Lebanese dialect. The village has a water spring built by Emir Bashir al-Shihabi II, and Druze khalwas (places of worship) known as Hroof al-Khalawat.
Freiha's most plausible etymology for Bechtfine is Syriac, meaning "place of partners and share-croppers" — from the verb shawtaf still alive in Lebanese vernacular (shawtafū, tshawtafū: to share, to partition). No ancient ruins were recorded by the encyclopedia, but two pieces of more recent heritage stand out: Ain ed-Daya, built by Emir Bashir Shihab II (an inscription above the spout celebrates his patronage), and the historic Hurouf el-Khalawat — a complex of khalwat (Druze prayer halls) considered among the area's important religious sites.
registered voters ~980 · ~38 km from Beirut
أبو رجاس، أبو عكر، ازرافيل، جعفر، شهيّب، ضو، فيّاض
The town of Bechtfine is in the Chouf district of Mount Lebanon, Lebanon, about 38 km from Beirut, at around 455 m elevation.
Bechtfine is about 38 km from Beirut.
Per Freyha, the most logical reading of Bechtfine is Syriac 'Beth Shawtafin', meaning the place of partners and sharecroppers, from the verb 'shawtaf' (to share/divide) still used in Lebanese dialect. The village has a water spring built by Emir Bashir al-Shihabi II, and Druze khalwas (places of worship) known as Hroof al-Khalawat.
Families associated with Bechtfine include: أبو رجاس, أبو عكر, ازرافيل, جعفر, شهيّب, ضو, فيّاض.
Notable people connected to Bechtfine include Abdullah Mohammad Daw, Mohammad Fayyad, Salim Fayyad.
Landmarks in Bechtfine include Ain ed-Daya spring (built by Emir Bashir Shihab II), Maghaarat el-Hammam (Hammam Cave), Hurouf el-Khalawat (Druze khalwat complex).
No providers are listed against Bechtfine specifically yet. Browse the Chouf directory to reach providers serving the Chouf area.