Purchasing the Land of Anjar
The French Mandate on Syria and Lebanon, based on the decision of the Assembly of Nations in Paris, decided to purchase a land on which the displaced Mousadaghians and Armenians from Alexandria could be relocated.
The land of Anjar was the private property of Rushdi Bey Fahmi and his mother Aisha Sabarnaz. Both had inherited the land from Ahmad Fehmi Pasha.
In 1928, the French Mandate appointed a committee to plan, measure and organize the land. This committee divided the land of Anjar and issued two separate maps, numbered one and two, in which the ownership of the land was reconfirmed as stated above. On August 19, 1939 , the French authorities issued a decision, number 176, and bought the whole shares of the Fahmi family for a sum of 410 thousand F.F.s. This sum was allocated by the French government, the Armenian Kalouste Guilbenkian Fund and by some other wealthy Armenian donors.
After the purchase of the land of Anjar, officials came and started the real division of the plots which have been numbered under the government decision of 355 on February 18, 1940. Based on this decision, the French authorities of that time donated the whole land to all the displaced Mousadaghians and the immigrants of the Alexandrette region.
In 1944-1945, a great number of land ownership certificates were issued to individuals of Mousadaghian origin. In 1940 part of Mousadaghians left to Armenia, leaving their lands and houses in Anjar.
In 1956, all the remaining land plots were numbered as Anjarian land and were retransferred to the authorities for redistribution. It is worth mentioning that the purchased land of Anjar was not paid by the Lebanese government but by the French and Armenians. The purchase and the ownership of the plot are clearly stated on the official documents.
In 1963, based on the decision number 40/63 of the Lebanese government, the full rights of land ownership of the Mousadaghians was reestablished on all land plots of Anjar.
In 1967, new land ownership certificates (dapoo) were issued to redistribute the Anjar lands to native Mousadaghians.
To complete the brief history of the creation of Anjar, we have to add that there are still some numbered plots without ownership certificates. The local authorities are working for the final completion of this important task.
