Baadarane

Baadarane is known for its Ottoman houses and monuments particularly the palace of Sheikh Ali Joumblatt, as well as the Tajeldin and Abou Chakra gates. Recent excavations revealed Roman ruins that include grape presses, tombs cut into the rock, and sarcophagi.

Hundreds of ceramic shards from the Phoenician, Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine eras have been found between Khreibeh and Baadarane villages. A well equipped guesthouse and wooden cabins welcome overnight visitors and are located near a local workshop and traditional loom.

Distance from Beirut 60 km
Altitude 1,100 meters

What is a Serai
Serai is a Persian word meaning palace. During the Ottoman period this word was widely used in Mount Lebanon to designate a palace and/ or headquarters where the emir or the sheikh lived and ruled.
Background

The Baadarane Serai

The Baadarane Serai is also called the Jumblatt Serai. It was built in the early 18th century by Sheikh Ali Jumblatt one of the leaders of the Shouf. During the Great Syrian Revolt in Jabal al Arab in 1926, the Serai became a stronghold of Druze rebels and a symbol of resistance to the French Mandate over Syria and Lebanon. The French retaliated by campaigning against the Druze community in the Shouf region. The Serai is characterized by its 18th-19th Ottoman Lebanese architecture