In the middle of Baaklin’s serene forest, in the wonderfully preserved Shouf district, lies Bkerzay
This artistic workshop and meeting hub, located amidst olive groves and pine trees, is for all those who are interested in preserving Lebanese heritage, handcraft and natural products. This project aims to promote products of the area, such as soaps, oils, herbs, honey and other organic products. It also encourages traditional crafts, including pottery and weaving, to give the villagersthe opportunity to work within their environment and to keep their expertise alive. Bkerzay is a venue for those seeking a space for creativity and healing.
Currently, four artists are working there regularly and a huge showroom is open daily for purchases. Bkerzay’s spacious pottery workshop showcases authentic designs of cups, pots, ornamental objects and much more. Launched in September 2013, it will be expanding its workshop to give pottery lessons to people interested in this handcraft as of February 2014.
Now it is now operational just for professionals and artists who can work without tutoring.
Bkerzay is in the center of a natural reserve and is a place where people can come to release their creativity. “The purpose is to preserve nature in anyway possible,” says Pascale Sloukgi, project manager. “Bkerzay is a project intended to preserve and reinforce the rural environment of the lebanese mountain and its inhabitants by promoting the crafts, the terroir products and the ecotourism in the chouf area. We are now getting ready to start the construction of the guesthouses that should be ready to rent by next summer. We are also preparing hiking tracks in the Baaklin forest,” added Ramzi Salman, the developer of the project.
Article edited on January 4, 2023.
Loading