{"id":2906,"date":"2019-08-09T16:17:38","date_gmt":"2019-08-09T14:17:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/libshop.paris\/?p=2628"},"modified":"2021-04-18T22:06:37","modified_gmt":"2021-04-18T20:06:37","slug":"chateau-moussa-lebanon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/libshop.fr\/en\/chateau-moussa-liban\/","title":{"rendered":"The incredible story of Ch\u00e2teau de Moussa"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"libsh-295212428\" class=\"libsh-avant-le-contenu libsh-entity-placement\" role=\"region\" aria-label=\"Advertisements\"><div style=\"background: #F7F3EF; padding: 14px; margin-bottom: 34px; margin-top: 34px; box-shadow: 0px 0px 48px 0px rgb(0 0 0 \/ 11%);\"><script async data-uid=\"c9882d2cc7\" src=\"https:\/\/libshop.kit.com\/c9882d2cc7\/index.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<\/div><p>You could not miss the photos of <strong>this medieval castle<\/strong> located in Lebanon, between <a href=\"https:\/\/libshop.paris\/deir-el-qamar\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Deir al-Qamar<\/a> And <a href=\"https:\/\/libshop.paris\/palais-beiteddine-liban\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Beiteddine<\/a>. Towers, ramparts, moats...<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2634\" src=\"https:\/\/libshop.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/moussa04-1.jpg\" alt=\"|\" width=\"1440\" height=\"1440\" title=\"-\"><\/p>\n<p>A priori, it is a real construction dating from the Middle Ages in Europe. In fact, it is a <strong>completely improbable imitation<\/strong> which was built in the 20th century at the instigation of a single man.<\/p>\n<p>And behind this crazy project, <strong>an unbelievable story<\/strong> and yet true through and through. Let me tell it to you!<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>This article is part of my guide \u201cLe Liban by Libshop\u201d, which lists the best places to discover in Lebanon! Check out the summary here:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"oRjY65L2K7\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/libshop.paris\/liban\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Libshop Travel Guide: the ultimate tourist guide to holidays in Lebanon<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"\u201cLibshop Travel Guide: the ultimate travel guide for holidays in Lebanon\u201d \u2014 Libshop\" src=\"https:\/\/libshop.paris\/liban\/embed\/#?secret=oRjY65L2K7\" data-secret=\"oRjY65L2K7\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>At the origin of this crazy project, the story of Moussa Abdel Karim Al-Maamari<\/h2>\n<p>The story goes that <strong>Moussa Al-Maamari had a passion for medieval castles from an early age<\/strong>. He used to draw castles during his lessons at school.<\/p>\n<p>An occupation that was not to the liking of his teacher, who did not hesitate to punish him for it.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em><strong>\u201cAnd now take a sheet of paper and draw a bird,\u201d the master told his young pupils.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>(\u2026)<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>\u201cI didn&#039;t ask you to draw your father&#039;s castle\u2026\u201d said the teacher in a mocking tone\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>This sentence is not trivial. Moussa, was from a very poor family, and the reference to <em>&quot;his father&#039;s castle&quot;<\/em> is a mockery of his humble origins.<\/p>\n<p>He will receive chopsticks on his frail shoulders, and worse still, <strong>he was fired by the classmate he was in love with<\/strong>, She <em>&quot;who only wanted to marry a man whose father owned a castle&quot;<\/em>, in a nod to the many taunts he was the victim of.<\/p>\n<p>It was enough for Moussa to start his childhood dream. <strong>He then devoted the rest of his life to building alone<\/strong>, without financial means, and without any help except that of his family, <strong>a real medieval castle<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2>The construction of the Castle of Moussa<\/h2>\n<p>He bought a piece of land with his modest income - his father was a soldier for the French army - from 1951, then laid the first stone, of what was to be a construction of 6,500 stones, in 1962.<\/p>\n<p>Endowed with few means, <strong>he carried himself, one by one, and on his back<\/strong>, the stones that make up the building today.<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BEL0o_hH2up\/<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/Bmswe20HCxP\/<\/p>\n<p>This completely wacky project occupied 60 years of his life, and <strong>he ends up realizing his dream<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BtRG6pzl4IM\/<\/p>\n<p>If the result causes the skepticism of many travelers and observers, <strong>the Ch\u00e2teau de Moussa represents for others a sort of metaphor for courage, perseverance and the merit of hard work<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/6wzFIEn2kG\/<\/p>\n<p>Thus, many people advise tourists and Lebanese not to go and see this castle, considered &quot;uninteresting&quot; and &quot;kitch&quot;.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2636\" src=\"https:\/\/libshop.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/moussa03-1.jpg\" alt=\"|\" width=\"1440\" height=\"1440\" title=\"-\"><\/p>\n<p><strong>But others praise the fantasy, strength and patience of one man against all<\/strong>, who did as she pleased to pursue her childhood dream, whatever it was.<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/2oIVT1n2q9\/<\/p>\n<p>You won&#039;t find anything necessarily exciting inside this castle. But the most important thing is what it translates. Presumably, Moussa wanted to build a tourist attraction but had neither the financial means nor the contacts to do so.<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BzlI27JhZK0\/<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, <strong>it&#039;s more of a one man belief<\/strong> than the technical prowess that commands respect.<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/ByqbemRjkLe\/<\/p>\n<p>The Castle of Moussa is also a sort of allegory of the Lebanese, who can sometimes <strong>expend immeasurable efforts to achieve their dreams<\/strong>, however unlikely.<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/Bz_JBMpnPvU\/<\/p>\n<p>This build is a story bug. An architectural aberration. But it is this absurdity that makes it its identity and its interest.<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/Bu3XoRthV2f\/<\/p>\n<p>In the castle, you can admire <strong>scenes of traditional Lebanese life<\/strong>, rudimentary statues representing authentic folk traditions, a giant nativity scene and an armory. We see a woman grinding wheat, a man sewing clothes and another riding a donkey.<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BL9CXp7Buth\/<\/p>\n<p>You can even see a model of Moussa Al-Maamari&#039;s classroom, where he sat with statues of the teacher who beat him and the students who laughed at him as he drew a model of his dream castle. .<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"The Moussa castle (Lebanon)\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dailymotion.com\/embed\/video\/x83bsm\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The castle offers <strong>lebanese coffee<\/strong>, and children can take a ride on a donkey. A souvenir shop closes the visit.<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BLB-G_Gg1i6\/<\/p>\n<p>Moussa&#039;s dearest wish would have been for a Hollywood film to retrace his atypical story. Maybe one day it will happen.<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BK-jCiXhBOK\/<\/p>\n<p>In the meantime, he was able to console himself with the awards he received for his work. He was thus made a Knight of the National Order of the Cedars and a member of the Patriarchal Order of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem.<\/p>\n<p>Moussa Al-Maamari died on January 31, 2018.<\/p>\n<div id=\"libsh-4226070945\" class=\"libsh-apres-le-contenu libsh-entity-placement\" role=\"region\" aria-label=\"Advertisements\"><div style=\"background: #fff9f6; padding: 20px; margin-top: 34px; margin-bottom: 34px; box-shadow: 0px 0px 48px 0px rgb(0 0 0 \/ 11%);\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u2728<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center; font-size: 18px;\"><strong>Libshop \u2014 M<\/strong><strong>ezzes, shawarma, falafels, hummus and Lebanese-inspired pastries<\/strong> for more than 10 years.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center; font-size: 22px;\"><em>\ud83d\udc49 <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/libshop.fr\/en\/reservation-brunch-libshop13\/\">Book your table at one of our restaurants in Paris<\/a><br \/>\n<\/strong>\ud83d\udc49 <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/commande.libshop.fr\/\" target=\"_blank\">Order Libshop for click &amp; collect or delivery<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u2728<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You can&#039;t have missed the photos of this medieval castle located in Lebanon, between Deir el Qamar and Beiteddine. Towers, ramparts, moats... At first glance, it&#039;s a real construction dating back to the Middle Ages in Europe. In reality, it&#039;s a completely improbable imitation that was built in the 20th century under the leadership of a single man. And behind this crazy project, a story that&#039;s barely believable, yet true from start to finish. Let me tell you!<\/p>","protected":false,"raw":"Vous n'avez pas pu passer \u00e0 c\u00f4t\u00e9 des photos de ce ch\u00e2teau m\u00e9di\u00e9val situ\u00e9 au Liban, entre Deir el Qamar et Beiteddine. Des tours, des remparts, des douves... A priori, il s'agit d'une v\u00e9ritable construction datant du Moyen-\u00c2ge en Europe. En r\u00e9alit\u00e9, c'est une imitation compl\u00e8tement improbable qui a \u00e9t\u00e9 b\u00e2tie au 20\u00e8 si\u00e8cle sous l'impulsion d'un seul homme. Et derri\u00e8re ce projet fou, une histoire \u00e0 peine croyable et pourtant vraie de bout en bout. Laissez-moi vous la raconter !"},"author":1,"featured_media":2667,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"page_builder":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2906","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-paysages"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/libshop.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2906","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/libshop.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/libshop.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/libshop.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/libshop.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2906"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/libshop.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2906\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4788,"href":"https:\/\/libshop.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2906\/revisions\/4788"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/libshop.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2667"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/libshop.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2906"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/libshop.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2906"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/libshop.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2906"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}