The Bekaa valley rich background from ruins to vineyards, and stunning landscape in between, the Bekaa makes one of Lebanon’s richest regions in heritage and nature. From the earliest days to date, its endless green valley has attracted all generations of farmers who have lived from its generous lands. Here, communities spread over villages made of mud houses and separated by a yard, called “haushs” in Arabic, where farmers lived with their families, cattle and their harvest.
From up north Hermel down to Rashaya in the southern part, the Bekaa is still home today to more than 18 “haushs” that have become an intrinsic part of the inhabitants’ lifestyle and identity. While all of them carry beautiful legacies, one eternalizes nostalgia, turning a family story into a daily celebration of authenticity.
When the Saab grandfather, Salim, returned from Mexico in the twenties, he found in the Bekaa the closest resemblance to a dear place he had called home for many years, Mexico. Determined to duplicate his Mexican “hacienda” in Lebanon, he bought his land in the Centre of Bekaa in 1942 where he built his farm in 1945 and planted the seeds of his memories in thousands of acres of virgin green land.
Houch el Ghanam became since then the summer residence of many Saab generations, collecting moments of a family raised with a deep love for nature, and inspired by the touch of each of its members.
The family embarked on a painstaking restoration and rejuvenation of all the buildings, gardens and surrounding acreage.
Today, Al Haush is more comfortable and productive than ever, and has become one of the most genteel country estates in Central Bekaa.
