News
Miziara, the strangest village in Northern Lebanon
gaia squarci
Jan 22, 2016
Miziara is a quiet Christian village in the hills of Northern Lebanon. In the second half of the 19thCentury a great starvation pushed many to leave, giving life to a wave of emigration that started as a means of survival and ended up, especially when directed towards Brazil and Nigeria, as a way to make fortune. Within a few decades Miziarans were coming back to Lebanon as kings. The phenomenon took an extravagant turn in the 70's, when many citizens started to build spectacular houses in the shape of planes, pyramids, Greek temples, and other kitsch structures that fitted their whims.
This fashion persists in the present day. The scattered pattern of construction sites and flamboyant buildings creates a surreal panorama for the tiny village, which in turn became a touristic curiosity for locals and foreigners.Â
