About the name

According to the famous author Anis Freiha, Rachaya al Foukhar is composed of two different origins: the first, Rachaya or rather Rashana, stems from the Aramaic or Syrian (Suryaniyyah) language. It means the masters or lords who inhabited those hills.

With time, the Arabs started using the word Rachaya for it was easier to pronounce. As for the second word, al Foukhar, it stems from the Arabic and means pottery, a traditional handicraft in the village. However, due to war and economic difficulties, the production decreased and nowadays, only 3 to 4 craftsmen still do pottery. It is no secret that they lack funding and support to bring back this industry to its previous prosperity.

Moreover, according to writings by German orientalists in the XVIIth and XVIIIth century, Rachaya was divided in two parts, the upper Rachaya, Rachaya al fawqa, and the lower Rachaya, Rachaya al tahta (cf. map). There is no particular explanation to such a division, yet, according to the Prince Fakhreddine’s history reveal that Hasbayya itself, currently the district center and at that time, the center of governance for the Shehabi princes, used to be called Hasbayya al Fawqa in reference to its closeness to Mount Hermon.

Therefore, it is probable that the appellation of "fawqa" and "tahta" was generally applied to neighboring towns of Hasbayya, including Rachaya al Foukhar.