Who is buried in the Church

I was watching TV and they were showing how in England some people were buried in the church there. They were usually clergy or rich villagers who paid for the right to be buried there as it was an honor.

This made me remember that my father had told me recently that there were burials in our village church St. Georges. Now the reason for the interest is that one of the original priests there would be one of my ancestral grandfathers and to be buried in the church would be a great honor and give me some bragging rights.

The other thing is that the current church was built in 1911 and they just recently celebrated the centenary of the church. Apparently there is access to lower levels that contain the previous incarnations of the church. I'm thinking this is where the burials are as I don't think they would be recent.

Maybe an archaeological approach on my next trip may be in order.

Story of Elias Makhoul Khoury's Death

In late 1956 early 1957, Elias Makhoul was walking down the main street of Derdghaya when he encountered my grandfather Najib Boulos and another man possibly Eid Raad. He asked the men to go to a certain place where he owned land and dig his grave by the road; the men were startled at such a request and enquired why. Elias Makhoul replied he is getting his affairs in order as he would be dying tomorrow.

Elias Makhoul left the men to their task and kept walking along the road as he was on his way to Neffakiye to collect money from a man that had borrowed a sum from him. Elias Makhoul was quite well off as he had spent a few years in America working and once he came back to Lebanon he was also quite successful in business. Later in life he lent money to people at interest.

Once he got to Neffakiye he was unable to obtain the money so went on his way to Maaroub where another man owed him money. He was also unsuccessful here as well and returned to Derdghaya. 

On his return to Derdghaya he was approached by my grandfather and told that the spot he had chosen was not desirable as anyone passing by on the road could stop and urinate on his grave as they passed. He informed my grandfather of another spot to dig the grave and that when he was finished to come to his house.

Later Elias Makhoul gathered his family around him, his wife Nasra (Nifaji) had already passed by this time. My grandfather attended Elias Makhoul’s house where he was paid a sum of money for his work. Elias Makhoul gave directions to his children of what he wanted done and who they still had to collect money from.

After giving his children his directions he sat back on his lounge looked up and seen two doves flying towards him. He started saying “Ijit Nifaji, Ijit Nifaji” (translated Nifaji is here, Nifaji is here). As the doves reached the house his voice lowered still saying “Ijit Nifaji” the doves reached the house and he went peacefully to be with his beloved Nifaji.

To this day his grave still stands where he asked to be buried

Bridge Building

In Derdghaya they predominantly worked the land as farmers. But as the village grew they became well known for their work as blacksmiths and stonemasons. At any one time there could be found six blacksmiths shops and several stonemasons’ quarries.

Sometime in the 19^th century a bridge needed to be built over the Litani River near the village of Qaaqaait el Jisr. The Litani River was the border between the provinces of Saida and Akka. The Governors of both provinces wouldn’t give in to each other so they both sent stonemasons to build the bridge. Each set of stonemasons would work from their side of the province and meet in the middle. As Derdghaya was in the Akka province their stonemasons were requested to do the work on Akka’s part of the bridge.

Both groups of stonemasons started their work but only the men of Derdghaya could get a start on the bridge, every time the men from Saida would lay their stones in the river they would be swept away by the strong current. But so skilled were the Derdghayans they were able to finish their side of the bridge within a week and not a spot of mortar being used because of the precise cutting of the stones in male and female ends. 

The Governor of Saida demanded the Derdghayan men finish the bridge but they refused as the Governor of Saida wouldn’t pay them. They demanded to be paid the same as they had received from the Governor of Akka, one gold piece. The Governor of Saida complained to the Governor of Akka but was met with a response that they have to be paid the same. Eventually the Governor of Saida relented and paid the men and the bridge was finally built. To this day the bridge still stands over the Litani River…..

Derdghaya's History

There is a couple of different versions of how Boulos Rizk came to Derdghaya....this is the story my father told me recently and in turn was told to him many years ago by Said Hanna Elia.

Boulos was the youngest of 5 brothers and had one sister. They lived in Forzol a village on the mountain slopes above Zahle in the fertile Bekaa valley.

Sometime in the late 18^th century Boulos’ sister was to marry. Lebanon of that time was ruled by the Ottomans and the local Wali (Governor) had passed a law saying he would be able to sleep with every bride on her wedding night. Boulos and his brothers objected to this and killed the Wali when he came to claim his prize. 

The family then fled. Boulos ended up in Maghdouche with his mother the rest of the family ended up in various parts of the South. In Maghdouche, Boulos worked the fields for people. The town at that time was predominantly Druze villagers. Here he had a problem with a Druze Sheikh who always accused him of pilfering his fig tree’s even though Boulos protested his innocence the Sheikh never believed him.

Upset by the constant accusations by the Sheikh, Boulos decided to move on from Maghdouche. Boulos loaded up all his belongings on his donkey, sending his Mum ahead telling her he had one more thing to do and would catch up with her before long. Boulos then back tracked to the Sheikh’s orchard and started picking figs, figuring if he was going to accused of stealing the figs he might as well take a share for himself.

While picking the figs the Sheikh caught Boulos and attacked him with a stick. Boulos over powered beat him and threw him in a ditch partially covering him with rocks.Boulos told him that if it was lucky day he would get himself out of the ditch or someone would find him otherwise he would die in the ditch.

Sometime later Boulos caught up with his mother in the coastal village of Sarafand. They continued on to Safad al Batikh. In Safad Al Batikh, Boulos and his mother decided to settle for a while. Boulos took on some construction work. One day while digging a house foundation Boulos and his fellow workers uncovered an old clay pot, the rest of the workers threw it to Boulos and told him to give it to his mother to use. Boulos took great offense to this and threw it back at the workers smashing on the ground. When it smashed on the ground gold coins came raining out of it.....Boulos ran over to gather up the coins but his fellow workers wouldn’t allow him to touch them saying it was his bad luck.

Shortly after this incident Boulos decided he was having no luck in Safad al Batikh so moved to Tibneen. In Tibneen, Boulos built a house and got married. He married his cousin from Taibe. Boulos’ house is still standing to this day. After an unspecified time Boulos moved to Derdghaya and hence the village was started.

Boulos and his wife had many children legend has it he had one boy and several girls. To grow the village every time one of his daughters married Boulos wouldn’t allow it unless the newlyweds settled in Derdghaya. Boulos would give his daughter and her husband a plot of land to build on. Legend also had it that the husband had to be a Batal (Brave fighter) or they wouldn’t be allowed to marry.

From this humble beginning the village of Derdghaya grew….