Etymology

Numerous narratives surround the origins of the word ‘Al-Masqa’ but the most feasible one suggests that the word is derived from a Phoenician or Hebrew root meaning the ‘irrigated land’. The town was probably given this name for its abundance of springs, which continue to water its farmlands even today.

Location

Al-Masqa is located at the center of the North Matn Qada’a. It spreads across 225 hectares at an altitude of 650 m above the sea level. It is about 20 km from Beirut and 2 km from Broumana and can be reached via two roads:

• Beirut- Dawra- Matn Highway- Broumana- Al-Masqa
• Beirut- Sin El-Fil- Mansourieh- Ain Saadeh- Beit Meri- Broumana- Masqa

Population

The number of registered inhabitants in the town’s personal status register is estimated at 520 people, all of whom are Maronite. Only 150 people reside in the town and the majority of Al-Masqa’s population belongs to the Abou Jaoude family. There are 40 private residencies in Al-Masqa.

Voters

The number of registered voters in Al-Masqa stood at 338 in 2000, 193 of whom cast their ballots. The number rose to 378 in 2013.

The majority of voters (95%) are Abou Jaoude members, with a few belonging to the Romanos, Halabi and Al-Shaikh families.

Local Authorities

The sole local authority present in Al-Masqa is Mukhtar Emile Abou Jaoude. Up until 2004, Al-Ghabi and Al-Masqa were considered a single real estate zone with one Mukhtar governing each of them. However, the then Minister of Interior and Municipalities, Elias El-Murr, approved the establishment of a municipal council in Al-Ghabi by virtue of Decision No. 41 issued on January 21, 2004. The town of Al-Masqa, however, is yet to have a municipality of its own despite all the demands for it. The separation between Al-Masqa and Al-Ghabi gave rise to a number of problems associated with the cadastral borders between the two towns and the sanitation network, which the municipality of al-Ghabi is planning to install and discharge into Al-Masqa.

Economic Activities

The town is home to four commercial shops that cater to the needs of the people. Pine forests are a source of income for many families in Al-Masqa, in addition to the remittances of emigrants in Europe and the US.

Problems

The absence of a school in the town forces students to seek education in the neighboring villages, and there are also sanitation and water pollution challenges.