Grid position 172/296 PAL Governorate South Governorate Time zone GMT +3 | Country Lebanon District Tyre | |
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Borj Ech Chemali (Arabic: برج الشمالي) is a village in the Tyre District in South Lebanon, located just east of Tyre.
Contents
Map of Borj El Chmali, Lebanon
Name
According to E. H. Palmer in 1881, the name Burj esh Shemâly means "the northern tower".
History
In 1881, the Palestine Exploration Fund's Survey of Western Palestine (SWP) described it as: "A large village built of stone, containing about 300 Metawileh, placed on a low ridge, with figs, olives, and arable land around. There are two good springs near.
They further noted that it was "a village with a similar tower of drafted masonry (as that of Borj Rahal). The hill is crowned by a stronghold, the vaults of which, slightly ogival, do not appear older than the Crusaders, but it was constructed of older blocks, some in drafted masonry and others completely smoothed. About a mile to the south-west of this hill is a subterranean series of tombs, each containing several ranges of loculi, which was explored by Renan."