| Bsheale | |
| Native Name: | بشعله |
| Settlement Type: | Village |
| Pushpin Map: | Lebanon |
| Pushpin Map Alt: | Map showing the location of Bchaaleh within Lebanon |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location within Lebanon |
| Coordinates: | 34.2036°N 35.8236°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Lebanon |
| Subdivision Type1: | Governorate |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name1: | North Governorate |
| Subdivision Name2: | Batroun District |
| Elevation M: | 1311 |
| Population Total: | 2800 registered voters 1800 residents |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Timezone1: | EET |
| Utc Offset1: | +2 |
| Timezone1 Dst: | EEST |
| Utc Offset1 Dst: | +3 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
| Area Code: | +9616715 |
| Area Code Type: | Dialing code |
| Website: | www.bchaaleh.com |
Bchaaleh (alternatively spelled Bcheale, Bchealeh or Bshaaleh) is a village in the Batroun District of the North Governorate in Lebanon.[1] [2]
It had 1,456 eligible voters in the 2009 elections, and the residents mainly belonged to the Maronite Church.[3] The village is notable for being home for the Sisters Olive Trees of Noah, twelve olive trees believed to be among the world's oldest.[4]
The village of Bchaaleh stands on a promontory, with views of the sea and across Douma. It is home to traditional houses and to Saint Stephan church, one of the largest in the region of Batroun. To the north-east of the village, a citadel is built on the ruins of a medieval fortress, erected itself on Phoenicians ruins destroyed by the Romans.[5]
See main article: article and Sisters Olive Trees of Noah. Twelve olive trees still live in the village of Bchaaleh, at more than 1200m above sea level. It is said that they are the oldest olive trees in the world.[6] Different studies and research present data on the age of the Sisters Olive Trees of Noah in Bchaaleh. Some claim they are "between five and seven thousand years old".[7] Another study carried out in French Laboratories in 2017 showed that the trees are a bit older than two thousand years.
Syriac origin, "Beit Chaali", meaning "the place of glorification and adoration".
In 2017 Bchaaleh installed a solar farm, and managed to avoid the worst effects of the 2021 Lebanese blackout.[8]