Being home to two large springs in the shape of fish eyes, the town was called Ouyoun Samak, Arabic for ‘fish eyes’. Other folktales maintain that fish with strikingly large eyes used to swim in the town’s large expanses of rivers and this is the reason it was given its present name.

 

Ouyoun Samak is situated in the Qada’a of Mennieh-Dennieh, north of Lebanon. Geographically speaking, the town is sandwiched between Btormaz and Azqy but being a point of convergence between Akkar and Mennieh-Dennieh, Ouyoun Samak is associated administratively with the town of Safinat al-Qaytah in Akkar. It is 120 km from Beirut, at an altitude of 700 meters above the sea level. One can reach the town by heading from Tripoli to Mennieh, from there to  Bhannine and finally to Ouyoun Samak.

 

Ouyoun Samak’s registered population is estimated at 1000 people all of whom are Sunni who came from Safinat El-Qayte’e in Akkar.

 

There is not any form of local authority in the town as it falls under the administrative authority of Safinat al-Qaytah in Akkar.

 

Ouyoun Samak is known for its abundant springs and rich water resources of rivers and waterfalls. The As-Sukar spring originating from the upper outskirts of Dennieh flows into the Ouyoun Samak valley and forms a large lake stretching across 50,000 square meters. From this lake, water eventually merges with the tributaries of Al-Bared River. Since 1956, the water has been used to generate power providing at certain stages roughly 35 megawatts.   However, hydro-electric power has declined over the years and today, has ceased entirely. 

 

Residents of Ouyoun Samak live mainly off agriculture. They grow almonds, citrus fruits and peaches. 

Restaurants are set up on the banks of the lake and provide job opportunities for many of the residents of neighboring villages. 

 

Despite its beautiful nature and water resources, Ouyoun Samak does not benefit from the state’s tourist services. Not only is it situated on mountainous slopes, but it also has narrow roads and rough terrains and lacks the basic services, which makes it lacking with other famed tourist destinations in Lebanon. The absence of an independent municipality in the town dramatically reduces development opportunities and this is why the establishment of an autonomous local authority has been in chronic demand in the town to avoid the disputes between the municipalities of Btormaz, Azqy and Safinat al-Qaytah. 

 

Ouyoun Samak was almost unknown until recently when it became the preferred spot to shoot films and music videos, particularly for singer Nancy Ajram.