Photo taken from the Instagram account: @ihab.sh.lb
It had to be convinced, and it wasn’t an easy task.
In Baalbeck, part of the wall of the Roman acropolis was destroyed by Israeli bombs. A few days later, the Ottoman building, al-Minchiyeh, which overlooks the acropolis parking lot, was reduced to a pile of rubble. This magnificent building once housed embroidered abayas from local workshops. It was there that the soprano June Anderson had chosen the dress she would wear on stage, and where, on performance nights, festival-goers liked to have a final drink in the garden facing the illuminated Roman basilica.
These same strikes also damaged the legendary Palmyra Hotel. Photos released showed scattered glass debris, cracked arcades... Fortunately, there were no casualties that evening at the site: the hotel had not been hosting visitors since the beginning of this new war. But the photo of the table where Feyrouz had breakfast made its rounds on social media... Had she ever sat at that table, facing the acropolis? Perhaps. Probably on July 12, 2006, when she refused to leave this very hotel, where she was staying, while waiting for the premiere of the musical Sah el-Nom, as the Israeli airstrikes had just begun...
In recent weeks, we have been counting the dead, the wounded, the destruction, all accompanied by an overwhelming sense of helplessness in the face of this barbarity.
When the strikes got closer to the acropolis, the Baalbeck Festival team decided to react. Invested with a mission—to protect the history of these temples—we found our energy again. An open letter to UNESCO was drafted on behalf of the festival to remind them of the importance of preserving the world heritage of Baalbeck, a precious legacy to pass on to future generations.
We were the first civil society organization to speak out, but quickly, a snowball effect took hold. The Heritage Foundation, the Bar Association, and then a hundred deputies joined the movement.
An opportunity allowed me to meet in Paris with our Lebanese Ambassador to UNESCO, Dr. Mustapha Adib, accompanied by Dr. Jad Tabet. He told me about their fight, full of obstacles. He had managed to obtain an extraordinary meeting of the Commission for the Protection of Sites in Armed Conflict. The Ministry of Culture and the DGAM (General Directorate of Antiquities), under the leadership of Dr. Sarkis el-Khoury, were preparing the necessary documents for the 34 selected Lebanese sites. Convincing the delegations and UNESCO’s leadership of the urgency of the situation was a real marathon, but our ambassador was ready to face the challenge.
To amplify this effort, we mobilized expert international voices. With Change Lebanon, members of the Baalbeck Festival, and the Heritage Foundation, and with the support of Claude Doumet Serhal and other advisors, we launched a call signed within a few days by 300 heritage experts: museum curators, researchers, academics, writers, and artists from Europe, Asia, and the United States. This call was sent to UNESCO.
What an emotional and relieving moment when, on Monday afternoon, at UNESCO, the president of the commission announced that the 34 Lebanese sites would now benefit from enhanced protection.
The room was won over to our cause, and the vote was unanimous.
These moments rekindle our national pride. They remind us that with competent leadership, an engaged administration, and a determined civil society, it is possible to overcome trials.
But our fight does not stop here. This is only one step.
On November 21, another crucial debate will take place at UNESCO, this time on the protection of journalists in times of war. This topic is also close to our hearts. We must continue to act, mobilize, and hope.
Together, we can protect Lebanon on specific issues, while waiting for sustainable peace resolutions.
