The Menchiyeh building, destroyed by an Israeli strike on Nov. 6. (Photo courtesy of Mohammad Charaf.)
“Do you see the photo of the Menchiyeh building circulating on social media? Well, I took that photo,” says Mohammad Charaf, a doctoral student in archaeological history and a painter living in Baalbeck, summarizing his love for the ancient stones of this major archaeological tourism site in Lebanon, nestled in the heart of the Bekaa Valley. On Wednesday, Nov. 6, an Israeli strike targeted the parking area of the ancient Baalbeck site, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1984, destroying the Menchiyeh heritage building, leaving only ruins behind. The bombing also damaged the iconic Palmyra Hotel, once a haunt of Feyrouz, Nina Simone, and Jean Cocteau. The next day, the outgoing Minister of Culture, Mohammad Mortada, tasked the Director General of Antiquities, Sarkis Khoury, with preparing a detailed report on this...
“Do you see the photo of the Menchiyeh building circulating on social media? Well, I took that photo,” says Mohammad Charaf, a doctoral student in archaeological history and a painter living in Baalbeck, summarizing his love for the ancient stones of this major archaeological tourism site in Lebanon, nestled in the heart of the Bekaa Valley. On Wednesday, Nov. 6, an Israeli strike targeted the parking area of the ancient Baalbeck site, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1984, destroying the Menchiyeh heritage building, leaving only ruins behind. The bombing also damaged the iconic Palmyra Hotel, once a haunt of Feyrouz, Nina Simone, and Jean Cocteau. The next day, the outgoing Minister of Culture, Mohammad Mortada, tasked the Director General of Antiquities, Sarkis Khoury, with preparing a detailed report on this...