Nahr al-Kalb

BW

Template: Infobox River / BILD_fehlt

Template: Infobox River / Obsolete

The Nahr al - Kalb (Arabic نهر الكلب, German Dog River ) is a river in Lebanon. It has a length of 31 km from its source in Jeita near the Jeita Grotto to the mouth of the Mediterranean.

The ancient Greek name for the Nahr al- Kalb is Lycus or Eleutherus. In a treaty between Ramses II and the Hittites, from the 14th century BC, he served as the border between Egypt and the possession of the Hittites.

Strategic importance and attachment

It is this boundary between northern and southern coastal region accounts for the importance of the Nahr al - Kalb. The deep gorge can only be crossed in mouth close. So it was for many armed forces of strategic importance to ensure this transition. Even the Egyptians beat levels in the rock to facilitate the crossing. The Assyrians built from the narrow paths that were hardly suitable for large armies or heavy hauling. Only after Christ, under the emperor Marcus Aurelius, a road was carved around the year 180 in the steep slope. This was 30 meters above the sea.

Inscriptions

Generals of the Egyptians, Assyrians, Persians, Romans and many more left after a successful conquest of an inscription in the rocks of the river valley. The oldest stelae date from the time of the Egyptian Pharaoh Rameses II This was the first who preferred the arduous coastal route the way through the Bekaa Valley. He had a total of three inscriptions chiselled. Other inscriptions date from the Roman emperor Caracalla, the Neo-Babylonian ruler Nebuchadnezzar and the mamelukkischen Sultan Barquq. Even more modern inscriptions date are preserved. In 1860, the French General Beaufort delete the Egyptian plaque Ramses II to specify at the same place with the success of his campaign. Other inscriptions were carved 1918-1946.