View source for Rayaq

{{Short description|Town in Lebanon}}
{{For|the fictional character in ''Stargate: SG1'' named Rya'c|List of Stargate SG-1 characters#Minor characters}}
{{Infobox ancient site
|name = Rayaq
|native_name = 
|alternate_name = 
|image = Terrain de Rayak.jpg
|alt = 
|caption = Rayaq air strip in Lebanon
|map_type = Lebanon
|map_alt = 
|map_size = 
|location = {{convert|500|m|mi}} north of [[Rayaq]], [[Lebanon]]
|region = 
|coordinates = {{coord|33.850|36.017|display=inline}}
|type = Surface site
|part_of =
|length =
|width =
|area =
|height =
|builder = 
|material = Alluvial soil
|built =
|abandoned = 
|epochs = [[Shepherd Neolithic]]
|cultures = 
|dependency_of = 
|occupants =
|event = 
|excavations = 1965
|archaeologists = [[Lorraine Copeland]], [[Frank Skeels]]
|condition =
|ownership = 
|management = 
|public_access = Yes
|website = 
|notes = 
}}

'''Rayaq - Haouch Hala''' ({{langx|ar|رياق}}), also [[romanization of Arabic|romanized]] '''Rayak''', is a [[Lebanon|Lebanese]] town in the [[Beqaa Governorate|Beqaa]] [[Mohafazat|Governorate]] near the city of [[Zahlé]]. In the early 20th century and up to the 1975 outbreak of the [[Lebanese Civil War|civil war]], it was Lebanon's most important railway center, where the 1.05-m [[Beirut–Damascus Railway|Beirut–Damascus line]] met the [[standard-gauge]] line north to [[Baalbek]], [[Homs]], and [[Aleppo]]. It now has an air base and a hospital. [[Rayak Air Base]] was bombed by the [[Israeli Air Force]] during the [[2006 Lebanon War]]. The landing strip was severely damaged as a result.<ref>
[http://www.undp.org.lb/events/docs/DraftReport.pdf Lebanon Rapid Environmental Assessment for Greening Recovery, Reconstruction And Reform], [[United Nations Development Programme]] report, 2006.</ref>

==Archaeology==
'''Rayaq North''' is a [[Shepherd Neolithic]] archaeological site located on either side of the main road, {{convert|500|m|mi}} north of [[Rayaq]]. [[Flint]] tools were found there by [[Lorraine Copeland]] and [[Frank Skeels]] during a survey of 1965. Along with the Shepherd Neolithic series of blade-butts and end-scrapers, another series of large cores and flakes were found that [[Henri Fleisch]] considered similar to materials found at [[Serain, Lebanon|Serain]] and [[Fleywe]].  They are thought to be [[Mousterian]], [[Levalloiso-Mousterian]] or [[Heavy Neolithic]].<ref name="CopelandWescombe1966">{{cite book|author1=L. Copeland|author1-link= Lorraine Copeland|author2=P. Wescombe|author2-link= Peter Wescombe|title=Inventory of Stone-Age Sites in Lebanon: North, South and East-Central Lebanon, p. 51 & 52|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qhPRQwAACAAJ|access-date=3 March 2011|year=1966|publisher=Impr. Catholique}}</ref>
[[File:Rayak railway station.jpg|thumb|[[Riyak railway station|Rayak railway station]]]]

==History==
In 1838, [[Eli Smith]] noted both  ''Reyak'' and ''Haush Hala'' as Christian villages in the [[Baalbek]] area.<ref>Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, 2nd appendix, p. [https://archive.org/stream/biblicalresearch03robiuoft#page/145/mode/1up 145]</ref>

Prior to 1914 there was a broad-gauge railway from [[Aleppo]] through [[Hama]] and [[Homs]] which reached the [[Beirut]] to [[Damascus]] narrow-gauge line at Riyaq. Both railways were built and owned by French companies.<ref> McHugo, John (2014) ''Syria. A Recent History.'' Saqi Books. {{ISBN|978-0-86356-160-3}} p.264 n.27</ref>

During the [[World War I|First World War]], the military airport was built by German troops. In 1918, the British army bombed the railway station and destroyed it.

On August 7, 1933, two French aviators (Maurice Rossi and [[:fr:Paul Codos|Paul Codos]]), aboard a [[Blériot 110]], broke the world record for straight-line distance. They landed in Rayak after covering a distance of 9,104&nbsp;km without stopping, in 55 hours, from New York.

During the [[Syria–Lebanon campaign|Syria campaign]] in July 1941, the British bombed the French base and Rayak depots held by [[Vichy regime]] troops.

The first [[Free France|Free French]] fighter squadron (Alsace Fighter Group) was created there on September 15, 1941.

In September 1942, [[Charles de Gaulle|General de Gaulle]] visited the pilots at the Rayak base, and the No. 3 Normandie Fighter Group (the future [[Normandie-Niémen]]) was established there the following month.
[[File:451 Sqn RAAF Hurricanes Syria 1942.jpg|thumb|Hawker Hurricane of the Royal Australian Air Force at Rayak in 1942.]]
On October 10, 1943, the 3/3 Ardennes Fighter Squadron was born there. The [[Lebanese Air Force]] was created on June 1, 1949.

A French [[M10 Wolverine]] tank destroyer from the 3rd Squadron of the Colonial Tank Hunter Regiment (RCCC) was named Rayak during the Second World War.

The [[Lebanese Civil War]] from 1975 to 1990 interrupted all railway traffic. In 2002, an attempt to restore the Rayak-Damascus link failed.

== Notable People ==

* [[Charles Elachi]], director of the [[Jet Propulsion Laboratory|American Jet Propulsion Laboratory]] from 2001 to 2016
* [[Romain Gary]], French novelist
* Elie Maakaroun, writer and poet
* [[:fr:Jean Tulasne|Jean Tulasne]],  aviator
* [[Jean Makaron]], Lebanese diplomat
* [[Raymond Baaklini]], Lebanese diplomat 

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite book|last1=Robinson|first1=E.|author-link1=Edward Robinson (scholar)|last2=Smith|first2=E.|author-link2=Eli Smith|year=1841|url=https://archive.org/details/biblicalresearch03robiuoft |title=Biblical Researches in Palestine, Mount Sinai and Arabia Petraea: A Journal of Travels in the year 1838|  location=Boston|publisher=[[Crocker & Brewster]]|volume=3}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
*[https://www.rayaq-lebanon.com/ Rayaq - Haouch Hala],  Lebanon Tourist Guide
*[http://www.localiban.org/riyaq-haouch-hala-3657 Riyaq - Haouch Hala],  Localiban
* [http://www.geographic.org/geographic_names/name.php?uni=544795&fid=3642&c=lebanon Rayak on geographic.org]
* [http://almashriq.hiof.no/lebanon/300/380/385/railways/stock/riyak/index.html Old Rolling stock in Riyak yards]

{{Zahle District}}
{{Archaeological sites in Lebanon}} 
{{Heavy Neolithic sites}}
{{Shepherd Neolithic sites}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Coord|33.851|N|35.988|E|display=title|source:dewiki}}

[[Category:Populated places in Zahlé District]]
[[Category:Archaeological sites in Lebanon]]
[[Category:Great Rift Valley]]
[[Category:Beqaa Valley]]
[[Category:Shepherd Neolithic sites]]
[[Category:Heavy Neolithic sites]]


{{lebanon-geo-stub}}