Lebanon can no longer rely on aid to save its heritage, says Culture Minister

Ghassan Salame calls for a more self-reliant approach to restoration, at Abu Dhabi International Book Fair

Baalbek, a heritage site in Lebanon, is regarded as one of the largest and best-preserved examples of ancient Roman architecture. Photo: Unesco

Culture and heritage are also often casualties in times of conflict. That was the message delivered by Lebanese Culture Minister Ghassan Salame during a conversation at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair with UAE Minister of State Noura Al Kaabi.

The former UN envoy spoke of the devastation inflicted on Lebanon’s cultural and historical sites by the 2020 Beirut Port explosion, stressing the urgent need for their protection and restoration.

“When the Beirut Port exploded on August 4, 2020, hundreds of heritage buildings collapsed. So there’s a clear link between conflict and the need to preserve heritage, because it’s the second casualty after people,” he said.

“After the port explosion, we restored around 70 per cent of the heritage buildings. But it’s not enough and there are heritage buildings in other places still in ruins. I have a list of more than 60 historic houses in Tripoli that are on the verge of collapse. The Lebanese state currently lacks the capacity to handle this.”

Salame said these challenges stem not only from the financial turmoil and political paralysis that have embroiled Lebanon in recent years, but also from a broader lack of international support for such efforts.

“Countries in distress, like Lebanon, can no longer depend on aid the way they used to,” he said. “We have to be realistic. The golden era of international organisations and generous foreign aid is behind us.

“We must rely more on ourselves – on youth training in heritage conservation, on nurturing local expertise, and on knowledge-sharing, especially among Arab countries.”

Lebanese Culture Minister Ghassan Salame at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair. Photo: Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre

An example of the kind of regional collaboration needed, Al Kaabi said, is the Revive the Spirit of Mosul initiative launched by Unesco in partnership with the UAE government. Under the initiative, key Iraqi landmarks such as Al Nuri Mosque and Al Tahera Church were restored after being destroyed by ISIS in 2017.

She said the aftermath of the reconstruction had a galvanising effect on the city’s youth. “We surveyed 300 people from Mosul to understand their views on the reconstruction. Eighty per cent saw it as positive. Seventy per cent were fully aware of the restoration process,” she said.

“Around the mosque, young Iraqis are organising cultural evenings – poetry, music, book fairs, film festivals. Without this youth involvement, we would only have a building – not life, not continuity.”

Al Kaabi described Revive the Spirit of Mosul as a model for restoration – youth-led and with an impact that extends far beyond the rebuilt structure.

“The role of youth is extremely important. At the beginning of the Revive the Spirit of Mosul project, I met several young people from Mosul who now speak better than any researcher when it comes to restoration and reconstruction.

“There’s capacity, there’s talent – and trust has been built,” she said. “These young people are not only gaining a skill they can share with others – they are connecting with identity and shared co-existence.”

Al Tahera Church in Mosul, pictured in February, has been reconstructed as part of Unesco’s Revive the Spirit of Mosul initiative. Aymen Al-Ameri / The National

For Salame, the Mosul project is a blueprint for a more self-reliant and active approach to heritage restoration.

After several stints at the UN, spanning two decades – including serving as political adviser to the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq, senior adviser to the UN secretary general and head of the UN Support Mission in Libya – he said the notion of international co-operation is, at best, problematic.

“To be honest, I don’t believe something called ‘the international community’ really exists. I worked at the UN for many years and reached this conclusion in good conscience,” he said.

“When we say ‘community’, we mean entities that exist, that communicate, and that show solidarity. Do the world’s 191 countries have that kind of engagement with one another? The answer is no. That’s why I don’t use the term any more.

“This is why we must rely on ourselves … on youth training, on local experts, on collaboration between Arab countries. That’s where the future of heritage protection lies.”

Salame concluded by addressing those who dismiss such initiatives as secondary to more urgent social issues, emphasising their deeper role in shaping national identity.

“Identity is not static, it’s malleable. You reconstruct it every morning. You may start life valuing ethnicity, religion, or gender – then life unfolds, and other elements become more important,” he said. “What we want is to tell youth: 'In rebuilding your identity, don’t forget your past or you will lose your future.'”