Wadi al-Taym

Wadi al-Taym is a wadi, or dry river valley, that forms a large fertile valley in Lebanon, on the western slopes of Mount Hermon within the Rachaya and Hasbaya districts. It adjoins the Beqaa Valley and runs north to south toward the Jordan Valley, reaching the northwestern corner of Lake Huleh, and is watered by the Hasbani River. Its low hills are covered with rows of silver-green olive trees, and its population is mostly Druze and Sunni Muslim, with significant Greek Orthodox Christian communities. The valley is widely considered the birthplace of the Druze faith, and its name comes from the Arab tribe Taym Allat, later Taym-Allah ibn Tha'laba, who settled there in early Islamic times.