Jouret el ballout explained

Jouret El Ballout
Native Name:جورة البلوط
Native Name Lang:ara
Settlement Type:City
Pushpin Map:Lebanon
Pushpin Map Alt:Map showing the location of Jouret El Ballout within Lebanon
Pushpin Map Caption:Location within Lebanon
Coordinates:33.891°N 35.6349°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Lebanon
Subdivision Type1:Governorate
Subdivision Name1:Mount Lebanon Governorate
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name2:Matn District
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Issam Bou Jaoude
Area Total Km2:1.69
Elevation Min M:600
Elevation Max M:720
Population Total:700
Population As Of:2007
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone1:EET
Utc Offset1:+2
Timezone1 Dst:EEST
Utc Offset1 Dst:+3
Postal Code Type:Postal code
Area Code Type:Dialing code
Area Code:+961-4-

Jouret El Ballout (Arabic: جورة البلوط|jūrat al-balūṭ) is a christian village in the Matn District in the Mount Lebanon Governorate of Lebanon.

Etymology

The village of Jouret El Ballout owes its name to its geographical position – a low point surrounded by mountains (Mar Chaaya mountain to the north and Haref mountain to the west): Arabic: جورة means pit or cavern in Arabic. It is also surrounded by tall oak trees (Arabic: البلوط|al-balūṭ). Therefore, the name is a description of the village: The Pit of Oak Trees.

Location

Jouret El-Ballout is east of Beirut and covers an area of in the Qada’a of the Northern Metn, in the Mohafaza of Mount Lebanon. It is bordered by Nabay from the west, Deir Mar Cha’aya from the north, Broummana from the east and Kannaba Broummana from the south. It is above sea level and it has a views of Beirut and the Mediterranean. It can be reached via three different routes: Mkalles - Beit Merry - Broumanna - Jouret El-Ballout, Antelias - Deir As-Salib - Nabay - Jouret El-Ballout, or Maten highway.

Climate

Summer is usually dry in Jouret El Ballout; it begins in early May and ends in mid-October. Summer temperature rarely exceeds, with a lower limit of around . Its relative humidity in summer runs at 68%. Winter is wet and mild with temperatures ranging between, with the occasional snowfall the lowest temperature is variable but the lowest recorded few years ago about during a snow storm.

Archeological and cultural sites

Despite the relatively recent inception of the village, remains of several stone and earthen sarcophagi have been found there. The region of A’aranta in Jouret El-Ballout is in fact well known for its archeological wealth: remains of an old fortress were discovered, as well as some Phoenicians and Romanian tombs. Excavation works also showed that wood blast furnaces going back to the Phoenician era existed on this site.

Educational institutions

A public school was founded in the village in 1946, but it closed in 1980s. Today, there are two private schools in Jouret El-Ballout: