Mrah El-Hbas
Etymology
The name of the town consists of two units: ‘Mrah’, meaning a pasture for cattle and goats, and ‘El-Hbas’, meaning prison. Cattle used to be confined in the town for a long time during their transition from the mountain to the coast in the winter and from the coast to the mountain in summer, which is probably what inspired the name of the town.
Location
Mrah El-Hbas is located in the Qada’a of Jezzine at an altitude of 440 meters above the sea level. Stretching across a small area not exceeding 80 hectares, the town is 60 kilometers from Beirut and 20 kilometers from Saida. It is bordered by Labaa to the west, Kfarfalous to the east and north and Ain El-Meer to the south. It may be reached via Saida, Majdelyoun, labaa, Ain El-Meer then Mrah El-Hbas.
Population and houses
The registered population in the personal status records of the town is estimated at roughly 500. They are distributed in 150 houses and are predominantly Greek Catholics with a small Maronite minority.
Voters
The number of registered voters stood at 138 in 1972, then grew to 304 in 2000 and further to 339 in 2009. Voters are distributed among the following families:
- Dagher: 140
- Basset: 67
- Nashef: 50
- Najm: 30
- Youssef: 21
- Boulos: 18
- Shakhtoura: 13
Local authorities
A Mukhtar and an Ikhtiyariyah body look after the town.
Educational institutions
There are neither public nor private schools in Mrah El-Hbas. Students attend schools in the neighboring towns of Labaa and Ain El-Meer.
Economic life
Agriculture is the main economic activity in the town. Some residents are employed in small industrial activities or are shopkeepers.
Problems
The town has borne the brunt of war and Israeli occupation. Most of its residents fled the conflict and are yet to return home. One of the town’s primary problems is its small size of no more than 80 hectares. Large stretches of land have been sold to foreigners from outside the town, which, if it continues, may soon turn the natives into a minority.
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