Lebanese Culture Minister to KUNA: Our efforts successfully fortified the castles of Jabal Amel, marking a historic precedent against occupation

By Fawaz Al-Attiyah (Liqa’) Beirut, Oct 30 (KUNA) -- In a historic move reflecting the magnitude of the imminent threat to human memory, Lebanon has succeeded in placing its historic castles under the umbrella of international protection, while engaging in intensive diplomatic and legal efforts to prevent the targeting of its ancient cultural landmarks, leveraging United Nations organizations to halt the systematic destruction carried out by the Israeli occupation against its cultural heritage.

Last August, Lebanon managed to register the castles of Mount Lebanon (Jabal Amel) simultaneously on both the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger, through exceptional efforts by the relevant authorities following a visit by the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Dr. Khaled El-Anany. This achievement reflects international recognition of the value of these sites and the necessity of providing them with maximum protection as a heritage belonging to all humanity.

Regarding the long struggle to protect Lebanon’s archaeological sites, Minister of Culture Ghassan Salameh told the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that the continuous Israeli occupation aggression on Lebanon has turned archaeological sites into “victims in a dire situation.” He added, “Therefore, we have utilized every provision in international law and every mechanism of heritage protection organizations to safeguard these sites.”

Salameh noted that Lebanon, through sustained efforts over the years, has managed to fortify sites that were “destroyed or under occupation” by registering them on the World Heritage List, such as the five castles of Mount Lebanon, adding that this constitutes a “historic precedent” against the occupation.

He explained that the General Directorate of Antiquities under the Lebanese Ministry of Culture undertook significant efforts to prepare the necessary files for registering several sites in Lebanon on both the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger. He pointed out that the visit by the UNESCO Director-General in August last year “served as an encouraging step for Lebanon to continue preserving archaeological sites and averting risks against them.”

Minister Salameh stated that the Director-General of UNESCO officially handed Lebanon the registration of the castles of Mount Lebanon on both the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger “considering them as currently under Israeli occupation,” expressing his gratitude to Dr. El-Anany for his “unprecedented” interest in assisting Lebanon in this regard.

Alongside the vigorous diplomatic and legal initiatives led by the Ministry of Culture on the international stage, field and documentation efforts on the ground continue to protect Lebanon’s historical heritage from the dangers of destruction and disappearance. The Director-General of the Antiquities Directorate at the Ministry of Culture, Sarkis Khoury, clarified that “although Lebanon is small in area, it is extremely rich in cultural heritage.”

Khoury pointed out that there are seven diverse archaeological sites on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, with eight additional sites on the tentative list, which precedes their inscription on the World Heritage List.

He explained that before any construction project begins in Lebanese cities, the Antiquities Directorate conducts “rescue excavations” at the site to ensure it is free of archaeological remains, noting the density of archaeological and heritage sites in cities and villages spread across Lebanon’s geography.

Khoury added that during surveys prior to the commencement of construction, multiple layers from prehistoric periods up to recent eras emerge, such as the Bronze Age, Phoenician, Roman, Byzantine, early Islamic Arab, Mamluk, and Ottoman periods.

The Director General of the Directorate General of Antiquities stated that, in addition to the antiquities scattered across Lebanon, there are modern-style heritage sites, such as the Rashid Karami Exhibition in the city of Tripoli, “which was inscribed on the heritage list as the first modern architectural project.” He noted that the visit of the Director-General of UNESCO to Lebanon last August was requested by Lebanon, as a guest, “due to his awareness of Lebanon’s rich and significant heritage and antiquities, and to assess the damage inflicted on some archaeological sites as a result of our numerous complaints.”

Khouri mentioned that the Lebanese state has filed numerous complaints with international bodies to protect its sites in the south and the Bekaa from continued Israeli occupation attacks, emphasizing the necessity of applying international law “which protects globally inscribed sites.” He pointed out that Lebanon consistently turns to UNESCO as a means to generate international pressure and global public opinion to track Israeli occupation crimes and establish a deterrent to halt its continued violations, stressing that the occupation disregards international agreements of all kinds, “including, of course, those that protect heritage and antiquities.”

He clarified that approximately 70 villages, towns, and cities in southern Lebanon have been demolished and destroyed by Israeli occupation forces, noting that Lebanon, across its various towns, “harbors a vast cultural heritage.” Khouri considered that Lebanon’s villages and towns “represent a continuation of ancient urban succession, a continuity of architectural heritage, and traditions and customs of the population rooted in history,” adding, “It is rare to find a hill in the south without evidence of continuous human settlement in this area.”

He explained that the Israeli occupation is carrying out a “systematic” destruction of buildings and archaeological sites, along with the erosion of agricultural lands, the killing of plant life, and the destruction of government buildings containing personal records, identity documents, and property deeds, “in an attempt to erase history and portray the land as identity-less, so as to reconstruct history to suit its interests.” He noted that the sites of the castles of Shamaa and Al-Shaqif in the south have been damaged by the occupation, despite their inclusion on the Hague List of protected sites, and added that agricultural roads in the south also fall under industries with a heritage character.

He stated that Lebanon signed the 1954 Hague Convention (First and Second Protocols) and a 1970 agreement providing for the protection of sites inscribed on the World Heritage List, noting that it also signed a 2001 agreement dedicated to the protection of underwater antiquities. The Lebanese official explained that the restoration of damaged archaeological sites is “highly costly,” pointing out that some archaeological sites have suffered “strong vibrations due to bombing, posing a greater risk than outright demolition.”

He highlighted that the Ministry of Culture is continuously documenting violations against heritage sites in Lebanon by preparing files and submitting them as complaints and reports to relevant international bodies. He continued, “Thus, we confront occupation crimes through documentation and by mobilizing international bodies to pressure the occupation and inform it that it is being monitored, while preparing for reconstruction by formulating plans to preserve our heritage and highlight its human and civilizational significance.” (End) F.Z. / T.M.A.