The town of Bar Elias; one of our areas of inquiry at RELIEF, is located in the Zahle district, Beqaa governorate of Lebanon. It is known for its strategic location halfway between the Lebanese capital Beirut and Syria’s capital Damascus, lying only 15 kilometres from the Syrian border.
The municipality stretches over an area of 35 square kilometres, predominantly agricultural lands. Bar Elias municipality has welcomed displaced Syrians since the start of the Syrian Civil War in 2011, given the town’s close proximity to the Syrian border, existing social and familial networks, and the Sunni religious affiliation.
Bar Elias is home to 60,000 to 70,000 Lebanese residents, 31,000 to 45,000 Syrian refugees and 7,000 Palestinian refugees.
In collaboration with CatalyticAction
The Bar Elias exhibit has three pieces
we drew by Doha, Mariam, Asinat, Raheel and Suha