The explosions that occurred at the port of Beirut on August 4th left the city in shock.
The force of the explosion shattered glass panes at a distance of several kilometers, streets were littered with debris and broken glass. Large parts of the port were destroyed and surrounding urban areas were devastated.[1] The incident did not only cost hundreds of lives and left over half a million people homeless, but it also inflicted severe damage to cultural goods. Many of Beirut's museums, galleries, and religious sites are located near the port, which is also the area in which Beirut's historic traditional neighborhood is to be found. According to the Ministry of Culture, approximately 60 of the historic buildings are at risk of collapse.[2] We spoke with Gerda Henkel Fellow Dr Jack Nurpetlian of the American University of Beirut about the state of the devastation of cultural heritage and Lebanon's museum landscape in general.
"The biggest devastation was inflicted on Beirut’s traditional neighborhoods"
L.I.S.A.: Dr Nurpetlian, Beirut was hit by a huge explosion that destroyed the port of Beirut, and beyond. Many people lost their lives, their homes. To what extent are Beirut's cultural and archaeological heritage sites, archives, museums, and the objects on display affected by the destruction?
Dr Nurpetlian: Nine museums are located immediately within the blast zone and it is quite fortunate that the damage sustained is mostly in the form of broken glass windows and damaged doorframes. In the vast majority of cases, the museum displays are intact and the artifacts unharmed. The exception to this is the Sursock Museum, a modern and contemporary art museum, which sustained partial structural destruction in addition to considerable damage of its contents.
The main archival libraries in Beirut also escaped major damage and preliminary surveys have not indicated any direct harm to the archaeological monuments located throughout the capital.
The biggest devastation was inflicted on Beirut's traditional neighborhoods with its old-style houses overlooking the port area. Dozens of these traditional houses were damaged severely, with currently eight being beyond repair. These quarters represent the iconic image of Beirut's heritage and therefore most of the work is now being focused on finding ways to restore these traditional houses to their original grandeur, and this is where the main challenge will be regarding the restoration of Lebanon's heritage sites.