Rachaya el Wadi

Located about 30 kilometers from Aanjar and 85 kilometers from Beirut, the traditional little village of Rachaya el-Wadi is situated on top of a 1360-meter high mountain facing Mount Hermon (Jabal el-Sheikh).

The village was occupied by the Romans (64 BC) and conquered by the Crusaders in the early 12th century. From 1172 until 1860, the Shehab emirs ruled from there. 

Nowadays dominated by Druze and Christians, Rachaya el-Wadi is famous for its impressive hilltop citadel, while the cobblestoned main street of the village is lined with some beautiful Ottoman houses and the pretty restored 17th-century souqs. The village should not be confused with Rachaya el-Foukhar, which is located south of Hasbaya and is known for its ceramics - ‘foukhar’ meaning pottery.