Qmatiye (Arabic: قماطية) is a village in Aley District in the Mount Lebanon Governorate of Lebanon. It lies right beneath the town of Souk El Gharb. The village has a small population and is a famous tourist attraction in the summer.

History

When Mamluks intensified their persecution against Shia Muslims in 1363, a group of Shiites from Beirut (Burj Beirut) settled in Qmatiye and Kayfoun, the only major Shia villages in Aley District.

In 1838, Eli Smith noted the place, called el-Kummatiyeh, located in El-Ghurb el-Fokany, upper el-Ghurb.

Demographics

Qmatiye's natives are predominantly Shia Muslims with Christian and Sunni minorities.

Main families in the village are:

• Nassereddine
• Hamade
• Jaafar
• Zarwi
• Awada
• Doughaily
• Salloukh
• Chu'aib