Coastal sites under protection in Lebanon

The Honor Frost Foundation reiterates its long-standing commitment to the study, preservation and conservation of the underwater archaeology of Lebanon, and is deeply concerned by the critical threat to the entire cultural landscape of Lebanon, both tangible and intangible.

We welcome the recent UNESCO action, with 34 historic sites now placed on its enhanced protection list, including Sidon and the World Heritage site of Tyre.

Not only are these precious sites integral to Lebanon’s national identity, they also provide invaluable insights into ancient cultures and the underwater cultural landscape of the entire Mediterranean.

We therefore call on all parties to respect and to adhere fully to the letter and spirit of the 1954 Hague Convention, for we recognise that “…any damage to cultural property, irrespective of the people it belongs to, is a damage to the cultural heritage of all humanity.”