NOTRE DAME UNIVERSITY

Cultural Themes – Lebanese Architecture

OLD LEBANESE DWELLING

ARP 215

:Presented to
Ms. Layla Jabbour Mahfoud

Prepared by:

Nazih El Khoury
Vanessa Khoury
Elie Khoury
Elise Chukri

Due Date: 12th of June 2012

1
 Lebanese Architecture

OLD LEBANESE TRIPLE ARCHED HOUSE

"EHMEJ"

2
Lebanese Architecture

3
Lebanese Architecture

4
 Lebanese Architecture

TABLE OF CONTENT

1. Introduction: 3
 General Introduction to the Research Subject ----------------------- 4
 Presentation of the Chosen Dwelling ---------------------------------- 4

2. Detailed Information: 5
 Location--------------------------------------------------------------------- 5
 Ownership Type---------------------------------------------------------- 6
 Family----------------------------------------------------------------------- 6

3. Description of the House: 8

 Typology-------------------------------------------------------------------- 8
 Exterior Description------------------------------------------------------ 9
 Interior Description------------------------------------------------------ 11

4. Catalogue: 12
 Openings-------------------------------------------------------------------- 12
 Tiling------------------------------------------------------------------------ 14
 Ceiling----------------------------------------------------------------------- 15
 Old Accessories----------------------------------------------------------- 16
 Furniture------------------------------------------------------------------- 17
 Old Photographs of the Family----------------------------------------- 17

5. Conclusion: 18
6. References: 19

5
 Lebanese Architecture

ABSTRACT

The aim of this research paper is to discover more our Lebanese traditional
architectural dwellings, which are definitely an essential part of our heritage.

Not to mention that the dwellings that are available nowadays are a combination of
our Lebanese past and present era.

Therefore, we decided to study a typical Lebanese house in Ehmej.

6
 Lebanese Architecture

INTRODUCTION

General Introduction to the Research Subject

As a part of Lebanese architectural theme course ARP215 we were required

to conduct a research project on a traditional Lebanese house thus identifying
.its typology and elements of construction and decoration
In addition we had to analyze its internal and external aspects and how it
.complied with people’s needs

Presentation of the Chosen Dwelling

Having a member of the group owning a Lebanese traditional house, we decided to

choose his dwelling for our research.

To begin with, the house has been passed down through generation of ”El Khoury”
family, as well as the house is characterized by a triple arch-central hall typology,
having an excellent condition due to the careful treatment and care for the house. Its
area is around 150 m². The house is still authentic, with slight roof and shutter
renovation made in the 1960s.

7
 Lebanese Architecture

DETAILED INFORMATION

Location

The house is located in the casa of Jbeil, Mount Lebanon, in a town called Ehmej. It is
20 kilometers from Jbeil next to the pilgrimage place Annaya and on the road leading
to the great Laqlouk Village.
Ehmej is 57 kilometers away from Beirut and stands 1200 meters above sea level.

Figure: Map of Lebanon, Ehmej Figure: Google earth, the house

8
 Lebanese Architecture

Ownership Type

The inhabitants were and still are the original owners of the house. It started 160
years ago with Cheikh Skandar El khoury ”moudir nahyat jbeil l oulya” during the
ottoman period. Therefore, it is considered to be a private property.

Family

The family is originally from Ehmej. The founder was Cheikh Skandar El Khoury .
The family had a good political status in the ottoman period and occupied good
positions.

Cheikh Tanios El Khoury founded the first municipality in Ehmej and the Caza of
Jbeil.

Cheikh Iskandar El Khoury is currently a member of the municipality of Ehmej. The

Family was a close friend to political figures such as Bechara El Khoury, Kamil
Chamoun...

Henry El Khoury, the uncle of the current owner, went to the USA and made an
innovation in the electrical “NAWL” machine thus he got awarded with a piece of
land naming it “Coury Heights”-New Bedford Massachusetts over his family name.

9
 Lebanese Architecture

Figure: Part of KHOURY family tree done by Rafik Kazan (a family descendent)

Figure: Google earth ”Coury Heights

10
 Lebanese Architecture

DESCRIPTION OF THE HOUSE

Typology

As it is mentioned earlier, the house is classified as a triple arched house. To be more

specific, it is a typical middle-class, bourgeois house. Its characteristics go back to
Ottoman modernity. It is also considered as the most typical Lebanese house by the
population. This typology is made up of several dwelling rooms, organized around a
large central room. The front of this main room has usually decorated three arch
windows.
Note that in this example the central hall is of narrow dimensions: 3.5m by 11m
because it was made on top of a barrel vault.
A side entrance links the house to an external Bathroom.

11
 Lebanese Architecture

House Plan

12
 Lebanese Architecture

Exterior Description:

General appearance: the house is in a good condition from the outside. Stone
masonry walls with elegant red tiles having on top fancy triple arches and an
elevated entrance.

Figure: Triple Arches above the barrel vault

Figure: Old entrance Door –Elevated entrance

13
 Lebanese Architecture

:erugiF O ldw ooden

,rettuhs Figure: Iron Entrance Door
elpmis rectangu la rw indow and
ven tila tion op
ne ni g

Outdoor bathroom Stone masonry and vine

Figure: Lintel

14
 Lebanese Architecture

Interior description:

The family is living in the upper level of house or ground level. The upper level
contains 5 rooms (Central hall, kitchen, dining, toilet, and two bedrooms). The
interior decoration and style is very beautiful and elegant. The lower level is left for
storage room that contains very old material, which we were able to have access to.
The only access to the house is from the stairs at the middle of the north façade, in
addition a private entrance is found on the west side directly linked to Nazih’s room
that leads to the house backyard as well as to the entrance of its barrel vaults
beneath the house,

The walls are made of stone (load barring wall). The entire interior walls are
plastered holding together a wooden roof structure. The wall thickness is around 50
cm which varies according to orientation. The triple arches are closed by glasses,
with no balconies.

Triple arches with wooden tracery

decoration and colored glass

Official papers dating from ottoman

period

taklif” from sultan to Gebrayel Iskandar El “

Khoury

15
Lebanese Architecture

Wall Showing Pictures Of Different

members of the family

16
 Lebanese Architecture

CATALOGUE

1- Openings

Wooden Master Bedroom Window French Style Bedroom Window

oom

Figure: Barrel Vault Figure: interior Doors

17
 Lebanese Architecture

Figure: Front Entrance Figure: Barrel Vault Entrance

Figure: Window Figure: Arched Window

18
 Lebanese Architecture

2-Tiling

Figure: marbles to the back and

Figure: roof “Marseille” red tiles
stone tiles in front

Figure: later added cement tiles decoration

Figure: stone tile

19
Lebanese Architecture

20
 Lebanese Architecture

3- Ceiling

Figure: Wooden Ceiling Figure: Wooden Truss system

21
 Lebanese Architecture

4-Old Accessories

Figure: Old chandelier Figure: Old candle chandelier

22
 Lebanese Architecture

5-Old family pictures

Nazih El Khoury : Beirut Port Tanios El Khoury in 1907 Gebrayel El Khoury in 1930

23
Lebanese Architecture

24
 Lebanese Architecture

Conclusion

It was a pleasure studying this particular house. The family’s history was very
interesting and gave the house an added value.

The house remains in good conditions and habitable. We believe it is the duty of each
Lebanese family to preserve such a fortune and take care of it in order to save the
Lebanese architectural and cultural heritage that change every few decades.

References

www.localiban.org

KHOURY family tree done by Rafik Kazan

Google Earth

25
Lebanese Architecture

26