Lebanon’s Ministry of Culture has formally petitioned UNESCO to secure enhanced protections for the nation’s cultural heritage sites as regional conflict intensifies. Culture Minister Ghassan Salamé urged the UN agency to intervene with belligerent parties to ensure the safety of irreplaceable landmarks, including the National Museum of Beirut and the Roman ruins of Baalbek. UNESCO confirmed it has shared the coordinates of these World Heritage sites with all involved parties to prevent accidental or intentional targeting during military operations.
This appeal highlights the extreme vulnerability of ancient Mediterranean history during modern warfare. With heavy bombardment affecting Beirut and southern Lebanon, the international community is under pressure to enforce the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property. The move follows a precedent set in April 2024, when UNESCO granted provisional protection to 34 Lebanese sites, underscoring the ongoing threat that regional instability poses to global archaeological treasures.