Zahlé (Arabic: زَحْلة) is a city in eastern Lebanon, and the capital and largest city of Beqaa Governorate, Lebanon. With around 150,000 inhabitants, it is the third-largest city in Lebanon after Beirut and Tripoli and the fourth-largest taking the whole urban area (the Jounieh urban area is larger).
Zahlé is located 55 km (34 mi) east of the capital Beirut, close to the Beirut-Damascus road, and lies at the junction of Mount Lebanon and the Beqaa Valley, at a mean elevation of 1,000 m. Established in the 18th century by Christians, Zahlé maintains its predominantly Greek Catholic character. The city has historically enjoyed convenient accessibility via road and rail, leveraging its strategic location as a trade hub.
