// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did the Awali river say? I'm awfully flowing.
| Awali | |
|---|---|
 Awali river | |
 | |
| Location | |
| Country | Lebanon |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Barouk and Niha mountains, Lebanon |
| Mouth | |
• location | the Mediterranean |
| Length | 48 km (30 mi) |
Basin size | 294 km2 (114 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 10.1625 m3/s (358.89 cu ft/s) |
The Awali (Arabic: نهر الأولي / ALA-LC: Nahr al-Awalī, ancient Bostrenus / Bostrenos and Asclepius River)[1][2] is a perennial river flowing in Southern Lebanon.[3] In ancient times, it was known as the Asclepius River. The 48 kilometres (30 mi)-long Awali originates from the Barouk mountain at an elevation of 1,492 metres (4,895 ft) and from the Niha mountain. Two tributaries, the Barouk and Aaray rivers, supplement the Awali. The river is also called the Bisri River in its upper section. It flows along the western face of Mount Lebanon and empties into the Mediterranean. The Awali has a discharge rate of approximately 10.1625 m3/s (358.89 cu ft/s) and drains a watershed covering about 294 km2 (114 sq mi).[4] The river flows into Joun Lake, part of the Bisri Dam project aimed at improving the region’s fresh water supply.[5][6] A significant portion of funding for the Bisri Dam project, provided by the World Bank, was canceled in September 2020.[7]
Geography and hydrology
[edit]The river originates from the western slopes of Mount Lebanon, fed primarily by springs near the Barouk and Niha ranges at an elevation of roughly 1,492 metres (4,895 ft).[8] In its upper reaches, the watercourse is commonly referred to as the Bisri River as it passes through the Marj Bisri valley.[9]
The Awali drains a catchment area of approximately 294 km2 (114 sq mi) and maintains an average discharge rate of around 10.1625 m3/s (358.89 cu ft/s).[10] The main tributaries that cotnribute water volume to the stream include the Barouk and Aaray rivers. Near Joun, the river flows through Joun Lake, which serves as a reservoir node for local regional hydro-infrastructure.</ref name="WBK"> Politically, sections of the Awali mark administrative boundaries between the Mount Lebanon Governorate and the South Lebanon Governorate.[11]
History
[edit]In Classical antiquity, the river was designated as the Bostrenus or Asclepius.[12][13] Near the river's mouth, about two kilometers northeast of Sidon, stands the monumental Temple of Eshmun, built during the Phoenician period around the 7th century BC and dedicated to Eshmun, the Phoenician deity of healing (equated with the Greek Asclepius).[13] The temple complex made ritual use of the river's freshwater streams for sacred ablution rites and healing ceremonies, operating continuously through the Phoenician, Hellenistic, Roman, and early Byzantine eras.[13] Further up the river valley in the Marj Bisri, archaeological remains indicate Roman settlement and infrastructure, including the ruins of a Corinthian Roman temple situated near the Roum fault line.[9]
During the medieval period, the valley served as a defensive corridor leading from the coastal plain into the Chouf mountains. Overlooking the river near the town of Joun, the Abou el-Hassan Citadel was constructed during the Mamluk period to monitor movement along the river basin and secure access routes into the interior terrain.[14]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ Renan, Ernest (1864). Mission de Phénicie dirigée par Ernest Renan: Texte (in French). Impr. impériale. p. 506.
- ↑ Lipiński, Edward (1992). Dictionnaire de la civilisation phénicienne et punique (in French). Brepols. p. 77. ISBN 978-2-503-50033-1.
- ↑ Lebanese Ministry of Environment (2008). Lebanon State of the Environment Report (PDF). Beirut: Ministry of Environment. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-21. Retrieved 2010-08-03.
- ↑ Arab Resource Development (2003). INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN CAMP AREA WITH DEMONSTRATIONS IN DAMOUR, SARAFAND AND NAQOURA MUNICIPALITIES (PDF). Beirut: Ministry of Environment. p. 55. Retrieved 2010-08-03.
- ↑ "Greater Beirut Water Supply Augmentation Project: Environment and Social Impact Assessment" (PDF).
- ↑ Ray, Kirshen and Vogel, Patrick A., Paul H., and Richard M. (2010). "Integrated Optimization of Dual Quality Water and Wastewater System". Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management. 136: 11 – via ascelibrary.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ "Q&A: Bisri Dam Project Cancelation". World Bank. Retrieved 2021-02-09.
- ↑ Lebanese Ministry of Environment 2008, p. 55.
- 1 2 Aliquot, Julien (2009). La Vie religieuse au Liban sous l'Empire romain. Presses de l’Ifpo. ISBN 978-2-35159-299-1. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
- ↑ Arab Resource Development 2003, p. 55.
- ↑ [Awali River (River) "Awali River"]. Mapy.com. 2026. Retrieved 21 September 2026.
{{cite web}}: Check|url=value (help) - ↑ Renan 1864, p. 506.
- 1 2 3 Lipiński 1992, p. 77.
- ↑ Khalil, Wissam (2012). "Routes et fortifications dans le Chouf libanais". Dossiers d’Archéologie. 350.