| Saadnayel سعدنايل | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
 | |
  SaadnayelLocation in Lebanon | |
| Coordinates: 33°49′12″N 35°52′58″E / 33.82000°N 35.88278°E / 33.82000; 35.88278 | |
| Country |  Lebanon |
| Governorate | Beqaa Governorate |
| District | Zahlé |
| Elevation | 2,990 ft (910 m) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | +3 |
Saadnayel (Arabic: سعدنايل) is a town in the Bekaa Valley in the Zahlé District of Lebanon. It has a population of around 20,000 Lebanese, mostly Sunni Muslims.
Saadnayel lies 47 kilometres (29 mi) from Beirut. The town is located strategically near the crossroads between the Beirut-Damascus highway and the main road connecting the northern and southern Beqaa.
History
In 1838, Eli Smith noted Saadnayel's population being Sunni Muslim.
The town has been the site of sporadic Sunni-Shia violence. In 2008, four individuals were wounded in armed clashes between anti-Syrian majority supporters and Hezbollah-led opposition in Lebanon; the clashes involved use of machine guns, mortars, and rockets in Saadnayel. Despite the army's presence, they did not intervene.
Up to 35,000 refugees of the Syrian Civil War have also settled in the town.
References
- Rami Ruhayem (9 September 2014). "Is Islamic State heading for Lebanon?". BBC News. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
- Nour Samaha (26 January 2015). "'Here the dead are dead, and the living are dead'". Al Jazeera America. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
- "Saadnayel". Localiban. 13 February 2008. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
- Michael Young (13 Apr 2010). The Ghosts of Martyrs Square: An Eyewitness Account of Lebanon's Life Struggle (illustrated ed.). Simon and Schuster. p. 226. ISBN 978-1-4391-0945-8.
- Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, 2nd appendix, p. 142
- "Four wounded in Lebanon sectarian clashes". Al Arabiya News. 9 June 2008. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
- Nour Samaha (26 January 2015). "'Here the dead are dead, and the living are dead'". Al Jazeera America. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
Bibliography
- Robinson, E.; Smith, E. (1841). Biblical Researches in Palestine, Mount Sinai and Arabia Petraea: A Journal of Travels in the year 1838. Vol. 3. Boston: Crocker & Brewster.
 Zahle District, Beqaa Governorate | ||
|---|---|---|
| Capital: Zahlé | ||
| Towns and villages |  | |
| Other | ||