Bteghrine

Bteghrine (, also spelled Bteghrin and Btighrin) is a municipality in the Matn District of the Mount Lebanon Governorate of Lebanon.

== Etymology == The exact origin of the town name Bteghrine is unknown, but possibilities include Place of Warriors, Place of Rocks, and House of the Saddest – references to a large battle in the area around 1290 that resulted in thousands of deaths. Bteghrine was used as a base for the Mardaites during their raids against the Arabs. According to Father Ibrahim Khalil El Murr, this culminated in a battle in 1290 between the local inhabitants and the Arabs, under the command of the Mamluk sultan Barquq, in a valley called “Olon”, later renamed Wadi El Jamajem translating to “The Valley of Skulls” in reference to 17,000 casualties from both sides and their skulls which fell into the valley. Thus, the adjacent town was renamed “Bteghrine” or “Btekrino”, meaning "The House of Sadness", in the Aramaic language since it is where the Mamluks first entered Kisrawan, due to its strategic location at the mouth of the valley, and began their reign of terror and oppression against the local populace.