Etymology

During our search for the origins of the word “Zarazir”, we realized it was of unknown etymology. Yet, it is believed that the name of the town originates from its (past?) abundance of starlings, meaning “zarazir” in Arabic, in its prairies. “Zarazir” is the plural form of “zarzour”.

Location

Zarazir is situated in the Qada’a of Baalbeck on the hills of Lebanon’s western mountain ranges, at 1200 m above the sea level. The town is 100 km from Beirut and 20 km from Baalbeck and is bordered by Deir El-Ahmar, Barqa, Ainata and Bechwat. Zarazir may be reached through Beirut- Dar El-Baydar- Zahle- Baalbeck- Deir El-Ahmar- Bechwat and Zarazir.

Population and Houses

The registered population of Zarazir is estimated at 1450 people belonging to the Maronite community and to one mother family, Habshi, that ramifies into 4 subfamilies: Qatouf making up around 50% of the Habshis, Mhanna around 20%, Mikhael around 15% and Saf representing 15% of the Habshis. Zarazir has 20 houses and 4 commercial shops.

Voters

There were 950 registered voters in Zarazir in 2013, compared to 778 voters in 2000 of whom 599 cast their ballots. The number of voters stood at 880 during the 2009 elections.

Local Authorities

Zarazir suffered from the absence of a municipality until finally Minister of Interior and Municipalities Ziad Baroud issued on April 1, 2010, final day of the specified duration before the municipal elections, Decision no. 497 stipulating the establishment of a 9-member municipality in the town of Zarazir. The municipality’s share of the Independent Municipal Fund stood at LBP 69 million in 2011 compared to LBP 78.5 million and LBP 68 million in 2010 and 2009 respectively. Zarazir’s share for 2009 was distributed in October 2010, that is after the establishment of the municipal council. The town has 1 Mukhtar and a 3-member Ekhtiyarieh body.

Economic Life

The lack of economic opportunities in the town has forced large numbers of the population to migrate. For the residents of Zarazir though, agriculture and cattle are major sources of income. In 1996, an agricultural coop was established to assist in increasing agricultural production and ameliorating the services of the sector.

Problems

Zarazir suffers from a lack of essential necessities provided by public utilities such as a sanitary drainage system, a water network, a medical dispensary, paved and agricultural roads, etc. The absence of a school poses another difficulty to the residents, but migration remains the biggest problem facing the town.