Kafarakab (Arabic: كفرعقاب‎) (also spelled Kfarakab or Kfar Akab and pronounced "Kfara-ab" in Arabic) is the francophone spelling of the name of a scenic village in the mountains of Lebanon. In Arabic, it means the home (Kfar: كفر) of the hawk (Akab: عقاب). The village, which is located in the Matn District of the Mount Lebanon Governorate, is of particular significance because it is one of the various historic points of origin of the well known Maalouf family. It was founded c. 1560 AD when three families of the Maalouf clan, living at the time across the valley in the village of Mhaydse, received permission from the ruling emir to establish the village. The Maalouf family history is traced back to the very beginnings of Christianity in the Middle East beginning with the Ghassanid tribe, which converted to Christianity nearly 2,000 years ago. The family name is now widespread worldwide. Family lineages are detailed and well preserved, and conferences and a sense of family pride still preserve traditions, reunions, and culture. The preservation effort has the intent of documenting every known person bearing the Maalouf name.