Aley gained prominence when the railroad that
passed through it was built between 1892 and 1895. The railroad linked the
Lebanese capital of Beirut
to Damascus.
The railroad provided the residents of Beirut
easy means of transportation to the mountains, and this made Aley a popular
destination to spend the summer months and enjoy its pleasant climate. The town
was for a while the summer capital of the Ottoman governors of Mount Lebanon. A Jewish community once frequented this
multi-cultural town, and they maintained a synagogue, but it has since been
