Ras Maska


Ras Maska is a village located in the Koura District, in the North Governorate of Lebanon.

Etymology and names

The name of the village is probably derived from the Aramaic language, "ras" meaning "top" and "maska" meaning "drinking stream". The equivalent meaning could be "top of the stream". Due to the geography of the village, this translation is more likely correct than the equivalent Arabic translation: "top of irrigation".

Geography

This village is located in the Koura district on the hills overlooking the Mediterranean to the south of Tripoli. It is divided between the northern and southern regions.
Northern Ras Maska or Ras Masqa El Chmeliyeh, is the lowest part of the village, located at 60 meters above sea level. The religious majority of the northern population is Sunni Muslim. It hosts many coastal beach resorts. Northern Ras Maska is known for its olive agriculture.
Southern Ras Maska or Ras Masqa El Jnoubiyeh, is the highest part of the village, located at 200 meters above sea level. The religious majority is Christian, including Greek [Orthodox Christianity in Lebanon|Greek Orthodox] and Maronites.

Demographics

Northern Ras Maska

In 2014, Muslims made up 98.56% or registered voters in Northern Ras Maska. 87.93% of the voters were Sunni Muslims|Sunni Muslims].

Southern Ras Maska

In 2014, Christians made up 98.58% of registered voters in Southern Ras Maska. 53.99% of the voters were Greek Orthodox Christians|Greek Orthodox] and 37.76% were Maronite Catholics.

History

Ras Maska first appears in the Ottoman census of 1519. It belonged to the Nahiyat Koura / Anfeh and was inhabited by 14 male adults, the number of inhabitants of Ras Maska in 1519 would have been of 70 persons.
In the Ottoman census of 1571, the number of male adults was 26. The population of Ras Maska practically doubled over the period, growing on average by 12 per mil per year to be compared to a growth of the number of inhabitants in the Nahiyat of 6.7% per mil per year.
In 1953, Ras Maska had a population of 251 living in 40 households.

Landmarks