Kefraya


Kefraya is a village in the Western [Beqaa District] of the Beqaa Governorate in the Republic of Lebanon, approximately northwest of Joub Jannine. The village is home to a mixed population of Sunnis and Greek Catholics.

Château Kefraya

It is known for its vineyards and Château Kefraya wines. Château Kefraya is the second biggest winery in the Beqaa Valley with land that extends up to amongst the foothills of Mount Barouk, south of the town of Chtaura. It was established in 1951 by its owner Michel [de Bustros]. Shares of the winery are owned by Walid Jumblatt.
Chateau Kefraya exports wines to a number of countries in America, Europe, Middle East, Asia, Oceania, and Africa.

Archaeology

Kefraya was also once home to the Qaraoun culture with a Heavy Neolithic archaeological industry prior to the Neolithic Revolution. A very large archaeological site was discovered in the area running along both sides of the road. Good quality flint nodules were found amongst Eocene conglomerates where a Heavy Neolithic factory site was detected with a massive abundance of Levallois cores, debitage and waste littering the surface of the site. Large numbers of flint tools were collected by workers that included a variety of scrapers on flakes, knives, axes, adzes and a segmented sickle blade. The type of flint found in the area was termed Kefraya flint.