Keserwan District
Keserwan District is a district in Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate, Lebanon, to the northeast of Lebanon's capital Beirut. The capital, Jounieh, is overwhelmingly Christian, mostly consisting of Maronites. The area is home to the Jabal Moussa Biosphere Reserve.
Etymology
According to the medieval historian Gabriel ibn al-Qilai, the name “Kesrwan” derives from the Maronite muqadam Kisra of Baskinta. During the time of the Crusades, Keserwan was the northern frontier of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.Demographics
According to registered voters in 2014:Electoral constituency
The district is part of the Keserwan-Byblos electoral district, with the district of Keserwan being allocated 5 Maronite seats.Cities, towns, and villages
- Aazra
- Adma
- Adonis
- Ain-bzil
- Ain El Delbeh
- Ain el-Rihaneh
- Aintoura
- Ajaltoun
- Akaybeh
- Aramoun
- Ashqout
- Attine
- Azra & Ozor
- Ballouneh
- Batha
- Bekaata Ashqout
- Bekaata Kenaan
- Bezhel
- Bezhel & Mradyeh
- Bkerké
- Bouar
- Bqaatouta
- Bzoummar
- Chahtoul
- Chnaniir
- Dafne
- Daher Sarba
- Daraoun
- Daraya
- Dlebta
- Faitroun
- Faqra
- Faraya
- Fatqa
- Ghadir
- Ghbaleh
- Ghidras
- Ghineh
- Ghosta
- Harissa
- Harharaya
- Hiyata
- Hosein
- Hrajel
- Jdaidet Ghazir
- Jeita
- Jounieh
- Jouret Bedran
- Jouret Mhad
- Jouret el-Termos
- Jwar El Hous
- Kaslik
- Kattine
- Kfardebian
- Kfaryassine
- Kfour
- Kleiat
- Maarab
- Maaysra
- Mayrouba
- Nammoura
- Okaibe
- Raachine
- Rayfoun
- Safra
- Sahel Alma
- Sarba
- Sehaileh
- Tabarja
- Wata El Jawz
- Yahchouch
- Zaaytre
- Zeytoun
- Zouk Mikael
- Zouk Mosbeh
Notable families
- Assaf dynasty Sultan Selim I assigned the Assafs as his chief agents in the region between Beirut and Tripoli, confirming their control of Keserwan, and awarding them tax farms in the nawahi of Byblos and Beirut. While Emir Assaf had lived in Aintoura in the winter and elsewhere along the Nahr al-Kalb ridge prior to the Ottoman conquest, in 1517, he moved his headquarters to Ghazir.
- Khazen family
- Sfeir The clan legend is that a Crusader King, most likely Godfrey of Bouillon, granted to the Sfeir clan a portion of what is today the Keserwan District of Mount Lebanon, which was the northern frontier of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, as a reward for their loyalty to his reign and bravery in battle.