Lebanon's protected archaeological sites double to 79 to safeguard them from Israeli occupation attacks

Beirut, July 4 (KUNA) -- Lebanese Minister of Culture Ghassan Salame announced on Saturday the success of diplomatic and legal efforts to double the number of Lebanese archaeological sites listed under UNESCO’s “Enhanced Protection” system, raising the count from 39 to 79, in order to safeguard them from attacks by Israeli occupation forces.

This statement was made by Salame during a meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly for the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Plan, titled “Protecting Lebanese Cultural Heritage in Light of the Consequences of the Israeli Aggression,” held at the Lebanese Parliament.

He added that the risks surrounding the historic city of Tyre “prompted us to formally submit a request last week to UNESCO to transfer it to the category of ‘World Heritage in Danger,’ given its inscription on the World Heritage List.”

Salame noted that another “supplementary” request had been submitted to the World Heritage Committee, which will hold its regular session on July 17 in South Korea, to inscribe the five castles of Mount Lebanon in southern Lebanon—namely Shmoun, Al-Shaqif, Shqar, Tabnine, and Deir Qanoun—on the World Heritage List.

Salame clarified that the ministry had submitted a detailed report on the damages to Lebanese Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Youssef Raji, who included a dedicated section on antiquities in Lebanon’s report submitted to the Human Rights Council in Geneva, emphasizing that damage to cultural heritage also constitutes a violation of human rights.

Regarding the extent of field damages, the Lebanese Minister of Culture revealed that the Shmoun shrine suffered direct damage resulting in the collapse of three of its domes, while the fourth dome faces the risk of collapse. He also noted that archaeological sites in Tyre and Baalbek were affected by vibrations caused by intense shelling in nearby areas, leading to the collapse of parts of some columns.

With regard to the Al-Shaqif castle, Salame pointed out that the ministry had launched an intensive diplomatic and media campaign to refute Israeli occupation forces’ claims of the existence of tunnels near the castle, affirming that such tunnels are located more than 700 meters away.

He stressed that the concept of heritage also encompasses traditional houses, markets, and public libraries, announcing the launch of a three-year project in cooperation with UNESCO to revive and transform public libraries in Lebanon into modern cultural centers. (End) F.Z. / A.M.S.