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Guide to finding birth, marriage, death and residency records from village Mukhtars.

Each village in Lebanon has one, or several, village leader(s) called Mukhtars. Each Mukhtar keeps vital records on the individuals in the village or city. These include records of birth, marriages, deaths, and they issue proof of residence and registration data. A Mukhtar also has the authorization to access records in the Govenorate and District Offices where in some of these departments the old Ottoman records are often kept. Mukhtars are elected every 6 years and are an important part of Lebanese genealogical work.

Information recorded in Mukhtar Records
Lebanese Mukhtar Records are written in Arabic, however some individuals within the country also speak French and/or English. The Arabic Genealogical Word List and French Genealogical Word List provide Arabic and French translations for basic words.

Birth Records (وثيقة ولادَة)
Mukhtar birth records usually give:
 * the child's name, sex, and date of birth
 * the name of the parents, their dates of birth, and the father's occupation
 * witness name, date of birth, and home address

Death Records (وثيقَة وفَاة)
Mukhtar death records usually give:
 * the individual's name, sex, date of birth
 * the individual's date of death, reason of death, name of doctor and witness
 * marital status and number of children
 * the name of the father and mother

Proof of Residency (إفادة سكن)
Mukhtar proof of residency records usually give:
 * the individual's name, the name they are known by, sex, their date of birth and place of birth, and their hometown
 * the individual's spouse's name, the name they are known by, and current address
 * the names of the individual's parents
 * information about an emergency contact individual

Finding Mukhtar Records
If you know the village an ancestor may have resided in, you could contact the Mukhtar of the village to potentially receive information relevant to them or other ancestors. Contact information for Mukhtars are listed on the appropriate District's Mukhtar page listed below.