Historic Druze House of Spirituality Renovated

Washington - Situated on a hilltop outside Baakleen, Lebanon, and surrounded by the rustic beauty of the Shouf Mountains, the Ras-Nahel Khalwat is a quiet place of spiritual reflection for the sheikhs of Lebanon's Druze community. Visitors to the 400-year-old khalwat find it an easy place to relax.

Time, though, had taken its toll on the structure. With its northwest corner on the verge of collapse and its vaulted halls in disrepair, it needed immediate restoration.

A recent series of repairs supported in part by the U.S. government has again returned the khalwat - a center for prayer and contemplation for the Druze - to its original glory. Working with Baakleen officials and the Druze community, the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation supported construction that makes the structure safe and restores its architectural beauty.

Baakleen is important in Lebanon's history. The town dates back to the 12th century when Emir Maan came from Aleppo with his people to fight Crusaders and subsequently laid the town's foundation. Maan established the Maan Dynasty there and made it the capital until Baakleen's most famous leader, Emir Fakhreddin II, moved his seat of power to Deir al-Qamar.

Currently, Baakleen is the home for Druze religious leader Sheikh Naim Hassan.

The project was carried out in three stages. Stage one - the most crucial - focused on essential structural repairs to prevent a collapse of the khalwat's northwest corner. To make this happen, the ceiling and walls were restored. Finishing touches were added by cleaning its natural stone surfaces, both the interior and exterior.

The khalwat's walls - inside and outside - were similarly cleaned, and its graceful arches plastered where needed. Structural work continued on this prime example of 17th-century Lebanese architecture with a re-tiling of the entire floor and the installation of a specially designed roof.

Handrails were added to the stairway leading to the roof, as well as to the structure's external stairway. Further repairs included window installations, new wooden doors and doorways and a lighting network.

With stage one finished, planners turned their attention to the khalwat's grounds.

Stage two, supported by the municipal government of Baakleen, included additional construction on the site for a service building and connecting passageway. The final stage included new landscaping surrounding the khalwat and the creation of a public garden.

Work on Ras-Nahel Khalwat has satisfied three main goals: restoring the important historic structure to its previous condition, safeguarding the collective memory of Baakleen's townspeople and encouraging cultural tourism in the Baakleen-Shouf region.