Daraya, Chouf, Lebanon

elevation ~800 m

Where is Daraya?

Daraya is in the Chouf District of Mount Lebanon, roughly 28 km from Beirut in a straight line. Its closest Chouf neighbours are Ain El Hour (~1.7 km), Barjine (~1.9 km) and Aanout (~2.2 km).

Map showing where Daraya sits among the towns of the Chouf, Mount Lebanon

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About Daraya

Daraya, also known as Dheira, is a Lebanese village located in Chouf District in Mount Lebanon Governorate. The name is derived from "Dar" which means house or home. It is distinct from Darayya in the Damascus countryside, Syria.

Name & origin

Researchers agree the name Daraya is an old Aramaic plural of 'dar', meaning dwellings, houses and abodes. Tradition holds it derives from a queen named Layya who built a large house ('dar Layya') here. Some link it to Daraya in Kesrouan, whence its first settlers came.

History

Researchers agree that Daraya is an old Aramaic plural meaning dwellings and houses. Local tradition instead credits a queen who built a wide residence on the village land, giving "Dar Layya" which ran together into Daraya — though the ground holds none of the remains that would support it. Others link the village to Daraya in Kesrouan, home of its first settler, and the Baroud family is shared between the two.

In figures

registered population ~1,400 · ~44 km from Beirut

Families

أبو شقرا، أسعد بيه، بارود، بصبوص، الجزار، حسن، دحبول، درويش، رحال، سرحال، ضاهر، عبّاس، عبد الرحمن، علي، عنتر، مرعي، نصر الدين، يوسف

Notable people

Notable landmarks

Common questions

Where is Daraya located?

The town of Daraya is in the Chouf district of Mount Lebanon, Lebanon, about 44 km from Beirut, at around 800 m elevation.

How far is Daraya from Beirut?

Daraya is about 44 km from Beirut.

What does the name Daraya mean?

Researchers agree the name Daraya is an old Aramaic plural of 'dar', meaning dwellings, houses and abodes. Tradition holds it derives from a queen named Layya who built a large house ('dar Layya') here. Some link it to Daraya in Kesrouan, whence its first settlers came.

Which families are from Daraya?

Families associated with Daraya include: أبو شقرا, أسعد بيه, بارود, بصبوص, الجزار, حسن, دحبول, درويش, رحال, سرحال, ضاهر, عبّاس, عبد الرحمن, علي, عنتر, مرعي, نصر الدين, يوسف.

Who are some notable people from Daraya?

Notable people connected to Daraya include Dr. Mohammad Sarhal.

What are the main landmarks in Daraya?

Landmarks in Daraya include Daraya springs, Daraya Mosque.

In the Iqlim El-Kharroub area

Daraya 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 stretches from Jiyeh and Rmaileh at the Mediterranean up to Daraya and Aanout at roughly 795 metres — the union's highest point — on its eastern, mountainous edge. Daraya is also among the union's towns hosting industrial facilities.

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.

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