The Minister of Culture Ghassan Salameh during his press conference at the National Library on Tuesday, Sept. 16. (Credit: Nabil Ismaïl.)
Six months after his appointment, Culture Minister Ghassan Salameh held a press conference that was more akin to a manifesto than a progress report. Speaking to an audience of journalists, artists and cultural promoters gathered at the National Library (Sanayeh), he reminded everyone — with the historian’s rigor and a politician’s passion — that culture in Lebanon cannot merely be decorative. "Many people are unaware of the ministry’s primary function," he declared. "But it is a sovereign one: The minister of culture becomes the country’s largest landowner, holding the most precious archaeological sites, from Baalbek to Sour, from Byblos to Faqra."Heritage, backbone of memoryFirst mission: To defend and restore heritage. "When I arrived, I found numerous violations," he revealed. "With the help of the...
Six months after his appointment, Culture Minister Ghassan Salameh held a press conference that was more akin to a manifesto than a progress report. Speaking to an audience of journalists, artists and cultural promoters gathered at the National Library (Sanayeh), he reminded everyone — with the historian’s rigor and a politician’s passion — that culture in Lebanon cannot merely be decorative. "Many people are unaware of the ministry’s primary function," he declared. "But it is a sovereign one: The minister of culture becomes the country’s largest landowner, holding the most precious archaeological sites, from Baalbek to Sour, from Byblos to Faqra."Heritage, backbone of memoryFirst mission: To defend and restore heritage. "When I arrived, I found numerous violations," he revealed. "With the...
