Mish Mish, Akkar
Mishmish, also spelled Michmich, is a village located in Akkar Governorate, Lebanon. Mishmish is situated 1100 metres above sea level in the mountainous terrain of the north. The closest major city to the village is Tripoli 45 km to the west; the Lebanese capital Beirut is 129 km to the southwest.
History
The Akkar region was first inhabited by the Phoenicians but the original settlers of the Mishmish village built mud brick homes around the mosque to stay close for prayers and also safety as there were plentiful dangerous wild animals such as hyenas that roamed the surrounding valleys and mountains. A few of the original mud brick homes are still standing near the village mosque. The village has seen many foreign occupiers pass through its lands such as the Crusaders, Ottoman Turks and the French colonial forces. Reminders of the area's past still exist in ruins around Mishmish including road directions carved into rock, dirt roads used by invading forces and small castles or homes used by rulers. The most notable located 15 km away near the village of Old Akkar built in the late 10th century A.D. by Mouhriz Ibn Akkar, the castle was taken by the Crusaders in the 12th century and reconquered in 1271 by the Mamluk Sultan Baibars. During the Ottoman period, it belonged to the Kurdish feudal family the Banu Sayfa, then around 1620 it was partially destroyed by Emir Fakhreddine II. Husseins originated in this place.In 1838, Eli Smith noted Mushmish as a Sunni Muslim village, located south of esh-Sheikh Muhammed.