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The Lebanon Cedar
The Cedar of Lebanon or Cedrus libani is a species of Cedar that is native to the mountain regions of Lebanon and the surrounding areas of Syria, Southern Turkey as well as western Cyprus. While the Lebanon Cedar used to be abundant across the Lebanon Mountains, Anti-Lebanon Mountains, and the Nusayriyah Mountains it is now labeled a vulnerable species by the IUCN Red List and has been reduced to isolated populations across the regions mentioned above.

Mythological and Religious Depictions
The Lebanon Cedar is mentioned in mythological and religious texts from the ancient world including the Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the oldest surviving texts from Mesopotamia, and the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament of the Christian Bible. The Cedar was valued in the ancient Middle East by several civilizations because of its uses in religious practices and shipbuilding.

Sumerian
In the Epic of Gilgmaesh, Gilgamesh, a demi-god and king of the ancient walled city Uruk, along with his companion Enkidu ventures on a quest to slay Humbaba the guardian of the Cedar Forest. Humbaba prevents humans from chopping down and exploiting the cedars. The justification in the story that Gilgamesh gives for the quest is that Humbaba is an evil that has to be removed from the world but it is more likely, as Stephen Mitchell suggests in his introduction to his translation, that in addition to the fame and legacy Gilgamesh seeks he also desires access to Cedar lumber for his city and humankind. Mitchell also describes the Cedar Forest and Mount Lebanon as being the realm of the gods, similar to Mount Olympus for the Greeks, and thus evoking the spiritual symbology of the Cedar Forest that retains significance in later civilizations and religious traditions.

Judeo-Christian
The Lebanon Cedar, although commonly referred to just as the cedar, is mentioned several times throughout the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. In the book of Psalms of the King James Bible it says, "The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon". There are several references to the many uses of the cedar. David used cedar in the construction of his palace and likewise Solomon used cedar in the construction of the temple and his own palace. In the book of Ezekiel they are said to be used for the masts of ships as well as constructing things like wardrobes. In the book of Leviticus it is described as being part of a ritual to purify the leper.

Symbology of the Cedar
Despite the number of different civilizations that have had control of the areas in which the cedar grows it has been a defining characteristic of the environment. In particular the Lebanon Cedar has been growing on Mount Lebanon since before the dawn of civilization itself. Throughout the history of the region cedars have been used in the building of ships, buildings and many other things by the Babylonians, Phoenicians, Egyptians, the Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphates and the Ottoman Empire.

Lebanese Nationalism
The Lebanon Cedar has been adopted by Lebanon as a national symbol. After gaining independence from France in 1943 the cedar was used in the design of the new Lebanese flag. It has continued to be used as a symbol on stamps and money of Lebanon. More than just a visual symbol, however, the cedar has become a cultural symbol and source of Lebanese pride in the wake of gaining independence. The cedar was also adopted as a symbol of nationalism in 2005 during the Cedar Revolution, a series of protests primarily focused on eliminating Syrian influence from Lebanese politics and putting an end to the Syrian military occupation. The symbol of the cedar is also found in the National Order of the Cedar, highly prestigious awards granted to individuals by the Lebanese government, and several other organizations in Lebanon.

The Cedar in Art
The Lebanon Cedar has been featured in many artistic works of various mediums. It has inspired works in the visual arts as well as literary works. It has been featured in the works of well known artists in addition to local and amateur artists. Lebanese citizens who have lived in or close to the presence of cedars for their entire lives and orientalists/tourists alike are inspired by their endurance, majesty, and beauty

Poetry and Literature
From ancient times to present day the cedar has found its way into literature from both the Middle East and Europe. In addition to ancient Egyptian, Babylonian and Assyrian scripts the cedar is found in the works of Ovid, Pliny the Elder, Horace and Persius. The cedar was extensively written about by Orientalists from Europe during their travels, especially Alphonse de Lamartine. In a famous quote on the cedars Lamartine writes:

“The Cedars of Lebanon are the most famous natural monuments in the Universe. Religion, poetry and history have all celebrated them because of the reputation for magnificence and holiness that these prodigies of vegetation have enjoyed since the earliest antiquity … These ancient witnesses of past ages know history better than does history itself …”.

The famous Lebanese writer and poet Kahlil Gibran grew up near the Al Shouf Cedar Nature Reserve and is inspired by the environment and nature of Lebanon, especially the cedar. For Gibran, the cedar is used in his works as a metaphor for "strength, power, fertility, continuity and the feeling that the human being is eternal" according to Wahib Kayrouz, curator of the Gibran museum. The cedar has also inspired poets like Ada Aharoni and countless other amateur poets.

Visual Arts
The Lebanon Cedar is the subject of many paintings and photographs. Edward Lear's Cedars of Lebanon was inspired by his trip to the Middle East in 1858. The cedar is also featured in some of the landscapes of famous Lebanese artist Moustafa Farroukh. In Hana El-Hibri's A Million Steps photographer Norbert Schiller captured several photographs of some of the most famous cedar populations in Lebanon.

Preservation
The Lebanon Cedar used to dominate the greater Lebanon region but has now been reduced to relatively small isolated populations. As mentioned above it is now labeled as a vulnerable species and is facing several threats. Because of how useful the cedar was to various civilizations over history it was exploited as a resource. The cedars have, and continue, to face deforestation. Some of the causes include the encroachment of farm and grazing lands (rural Lebanese are trying to create more land for farming and grazing), climate change, and forest fires. Recently, rising temperatures are a cause of great concern for the cedars. Shorter winters and less snowfall are predicted to hinder regeneration and growth of the remaining cedar forests. In addition warmer temperatures can lead to an increases of diseases and infectious insects. There was also a lot of destruction during the Lebanese Civil War which ravaged the entire country. Despite the loss of large areas of cedar forests there are several organizations and projects focused on reforestation efforts. Cedars are protected under the law of Lebanon however there is little enforcement by the government and development continues to encroach on lands with cedar forests. As a result, most reforestation efforts are undertaken by NGO's and international agencies. These include the Committee of Friend of the Cedar Forest, Cedars Forever, Association for Forest Development and Conservation and many others. The Nature reserves of Lebanon managed by their respective committees and the Ministry of the Environment of Lebanon preserve the remaining cedar forests which are rich in biodiversity as the cedar forests are an essential part of this ecosystem. The forests provide habitats for many birds, mammals and other organisms.

Horsh Ehden Nature Reserve
The Horsh Ehden Nature Reserve, established in 1992, is a protected forest with a large population of Lebanon Cedars among junipers, firs and apple groves located in Northern Lebanon. It is located near the city of Ehden in the Zgharta District. The forest is situated on the northwestern slopes of the Mount Lebanon Range. It is managed by the Horsh Ehden Nature Reserve Committee under the supervision of the Ministry of Environment of Lebanon. The Range is known for is biodiversity and it is home to other threatened species such as the Lebanon Viper (Montivipera bornmuelleri).

Al Shouf Cedar Nature Reserve
The Al Shouf Cedar Nature Reserve, established in 1996, is a protected forest containing the cedar populations of Barouk, Maaser el Shouf and Ain Zhalta. It is located in the Chouf District of Mount Lebanon on the slopes of Barouk Mountain. It is also a site of notable biodiversity and contains about a quarter of the population of cedars left in Lebanon. Walid Jumblatt, a Druze political leader, has been a leader of preservation efforts as the cedars are important to the local community, which consists of a large Druze population, as well as the nation of Lebanon.

Cedars of God
The Cedars of God, a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with Ouadi Qadisha (The Holy Valley), is another forest of the Lebanon Cedars that came under protection in 1998. The forest, located on the Lebanon Mountain Tange in northern Lebanon is part of Kadisha Valley which is an important historical and religious site. Like the other reserves the Cedars of God forest is one of the last remaining populations of the Cedars of Lebanon. The forest used to extend over a far greater area and is thought to be the forest referenced in the Epic of Gilgamesh. It is also part of the vast forest that was exploited by the Assyrians, Babylonians, Egyptians, Phoenicians, Romans, Persians and Ottomans.