Nader Siklaoui, director of archaeological excavations in South Lebanon for the Ministry of Culture, puts up a sign with UNESCO's "blue shield" on March 23, 2026, among the historic ruins of Sour. (Credit: Matthieu Karam/L’Orient-Le Jour)
Nader Siklawi, director of archaeological excavations in south Lebanon, a Culture Ministry body, affixed a metal blue shield sign in front of the al-Bass Roman hippodrome, a UNESCO World Heritage site in the Sour district.The white-and-blue emblem, encircled by a red band, signals to belligerents that the cultural or historical site must be protected during armed conflict under the 1954 Hague Convention enacted by UNESCO.Israeli strikes have killed over 1,072 people in Lebanon, injured nearly 3,000 others and displaced over a million. As the humanitarian tragedy deepens and Israeli bombs continue to fall, concern for cultural heritage may seem futile. Read more In Beirut’s southern suburb, the mournful tones of Mahdi al-Sahili’s cello But for Mostafa Najdi, who safeguards the site, this heritage “is proof of our civilization.”Men...
Nader Siklawi, director of archaeological excavations in south Lebanon, a Culture Ministry body, affixed a metal blue shield sign in front of the al-Bass Roman hippodrome, a UNESCO World Heritage site in the Sour district.The white-and-blue emblem, encircled by a red band, signals to belligerents that the cultural or historical site must be protected during armed conflict under the 1954 Hague Convention enacted by UNESCO.Israeli strikes have killed over 1,072 people in Lebanon, injured nearly 3,000 others and displaced over a million. As the humanitarian tragedy deepens and Israeli bombs continue to fall, concern for cultural heritage may seem futile. Read more In Beirut’s southern suburb, the mournful tones of Mahdi al-Sahili’s cello But for Mostafa Najdi, who safeguards the site, this heritage “is proof of our...