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

Each village/town/city in Lebanon has one, or several, Mukhtars who are important to genealogical work in Lebanon. These Mukhtars are state employees elected by the people every 6 years and they do not receive a salary or compensation for holding the position. Each Mukhtar keeps vital records on the individuals in the village/town/city.

These records are kept with the Mukhtar and copies are also maintained in the Civil Status Directorates and the Ministry of Interior. 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 Governorate and District Offices where in some of these departments the old Ottoman records are often kept.

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 Certificate (وثيقة ولادَة)
Mukhtar birth records usually give:
 * The child's name, sex, date and place of birth
 * The name of the parents, their dates of birth, and the father's occupation, religion, Mother's home address
 * Witness name, date of birth, and home address

Death Certificate (وثيقَة وفَاة)
Mukhtar death records usually give:
 * The individual's name, sex, date and place of birth
 * The individual's date and place of death, reason of death, name of doctor, hospital or institution and witness
 * Marital status and number of living children
 * Occupation
 * The name of the father and mother
 * Name of the spouse
 * Religion
 * Home address
 * Witness name, date of birth, and home address

Marriage Certificate (وثيقة زواج)
Mukhtar marriage records usually give:
 * The husband's name, the name he is known by, his date and place of birth, his occupation, his religion, and the names of his parents.
 * The wife's name, the name she is known by, her date and place of birth, her religion, and the names of her parents.
 * The place and date of the contract.
 * Witness name, name they are known by, date of birth, and home address.
 * The name of the Mukhtar.

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 and place of birth, marital status and their hometown
 * The individual's phone number, email, and home address.
 * The individual's spouse's name, the name they are known by, and their home 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.