Cadastral Survey Maps of Bishmizzine
Before 1920 when Lebanon was still under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, there were many different laws related to land ownership. The resulting confusion did not provide any guarantee of accuracy because the property was not delimited by fixed boundaries. This made land development and subdivision through inheritance impossible. In addition, the absence of such maps hindered getting loans which require collateral free from any dispute.
Under the French mandate, the law of 1926 established a new land registration and cadastral system. The resulting cadastral maps that formed the basis of land title were determined by aerial photos and land surveys. Once the precise boundaries of each plot of land were determined and a number given to it, the ownership was registered in the land registry. The mission of each local Land Registration Office is to maintain records of changes in ownership and the merger and subdivision of plots of land. For Bishnizzine, these documents are maintained at the Land Registration Office in Aaba.
The composite map presented here identifies the approximate location of each of the 18 detailed maps of Bishmizzine. The 18 maps are clear enough to zoom in and read the property numbers. They do not reflect changes made since the map was published. It should be noted that they are not all oriented with north at the top of the map. Each map identifies where north is, as well as the scale of the map.
For more general information see: The Cadastral System in Lebanon Comparing to the other International Systems by Dr. Adib FARES, Lebanon
https://www.fig.net/resources/proceedings/fig_proceedings/fig_2002/Ts7-10/TS7_10_fares.pdf
Bishmizzine Composite Survey Map