Heritage
Ras el Matn is the birthplace of Lebanese writer Anis Freiha and the scholar ‘Ajaj Nuwayhid. Ras el Matn is home to many great athletes, and the schools participate in Basketball and Football leagues.
The most notable building inside the town is the historical Serail of the Lam'iyin princess built in 1775. The huge building later served as a high school. Although damaged and abandoned during the war, one can still appreciate the serail's elegant courtyard and bell tower. Restoration work is planned for the near future.
A natural water spring known as Nabaa Ein el Marj is located found in the lower part of the village. Remarkable for its arched façade built in 1472, the plaque recording its construction is still in place.
Much older, are the ancient tombs carved into the rocky cliffs and headlands of Ras El Metn, while just below the village the refuge of a holy woman, Sitt Sarah can be found in a rock- scattered field. According to the legend, a rock miraculously opened into a cave to shelter Sitt Sarah as she fled from danger. Finally carved from living stone, the site is an ancient tomb chamber.
Many grottos are located in the steep pine-clad slopes above the town, giving visitors and hikers superb views westwards. Hikers should also ask about the Grotto of Hiskan, which is about a two hours walk from the village.
The town is a major source of pine nuts due to stone pine (Pinus pinea) woods covering the area. The beautiful umbrella pines that surround the village are a source of valuable pine nuts, while olives, grapes, figs, apricots and other fruits are cultivated here as well.
Ras El Matn is approximately 45 minutes away from Beirut making it a famous touristic place due to its relatively close distance to the airport and Capital.
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Famous quotes containing the word heritage:
“Flowers ... that are so pathetic in their beauty, frail as the clouds, and in their colouring as gorgeous as the heavens, had through thousands of years been the heritage of children—honoured as the jewellery of God only by them—when suddenly the voice of Christianity, counter-signing the voice of infancy, raised them to a grandeur transcending the Hebrew throne, although founded by God himself, and pronounced Solomon in all his glory not to be arrayed like one of these.”
—Thomas De Quincey (1785–1859)
“It seems to me that upbringings have themes. The parents set the theme, either explicitly or implicitly, and the children pick it up, sometimes accurately and sometimes not so accurately.... The theme may be “Our family has a distinguished heritage that you must live up to” or “No matter what happens, we are fortunate to be together in this lovely corner of the earth” or “We have worked hard so that you can have the opportunities we didn’t have.””
—Calvin Trillin (20th century)
“There are some things which cannot be learned quickly, and time, which is all we have, must be paid heavily for their acquiring. They are the very simplest things and because it takes a man’s life to know them the little new that each man gets from life is very costly and the only heritage he has to leave.”
—Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961)