Lebanon Pushes UNESCO Bid for Historic Fortresses

By Staff, Agencies

Lebanon submitted an urgent UNESCO request to protect five historic South Lebanon fortresses by adding them to the World Heritage list amid ongoing "Israeli" threats to the sites.

Lebanon's Minister of Culture, Ghassan Salame, told RIA Novosti that a meeting with UNESCO officials is set to take place in the near future in South Korea. 

"We have submitted an urgent request to the World Heritage Committee, which is scheduled to meet on July 17 in South Korea, to add five Jabal Amel fortresses", Salame told the outlet.

A number of these sites have already sustained indirect and direct damage due to "Israeli" aggression against the South. Salame said, adding that the Shamaa mosque, which houses the historic shrine of Shamoun al-Safa, was targeted directly by "Israel", which led to the collapse of three of its four domes. 

Salame highlighted concerns as "Israel" alleged that there were tunnels underneath Beaufort Castle, and urged that a diplomatic and public information campaign be initiated to demonstrate that the Israeli claim is false. 

In June, Salame spoke about the historic sites that "Israel" damaged or destroyed during its aggression against Lebanon. 

Speaking to Reuters, the culture minister said that the authorities have yet to assess the extent of damage caused by "Israel" in the south.

His comments came shortly after a ceasefire agreement was signed, adding at the time that "Israel" was preventing officials from conducting damage assessment operations, noting that "We cannot work under the shadow of occupation."

Salame discussed "Israel’s" occupation zone in South Lebanon, highlighting its religious and sectarian diversity and the presence of various places of worship. 

He stated that entire villages had been erased, adding, "There are villages that have been completely bulldozed."

Beyond the occupied areas, "Israeli" airstrikes also struck historic cities including Tyre, Nabatieh, and Tebnine. Salame expressed concern that Tebnine's Crusader-era fortress may have sustained damage during the bombardment.

"Heritage is not only Roman and Phoenician antiquities," Salame said. "Heritage is also historic buildings, archaeological sites, and buildings with a cultural function."

The UNESCO World Heritage city of Tyre was heavily affected by the "Israeli" aggression, including a crown being blown off an ancient Roman column. 

A pilgrimage site in the city, revered by both Muslims and Christians, was reportedly destroyed in another southern Lebanese town. "Israeli" strikes also caused heavy damage to the Mamluk-era market in Nabatieh and razed centuries-old villages along the border.