Local Efforts to Preserve Southern Lebanon's Heritage Amidst Ongoing Conflict
Artists and officials race to document historical sites as war destroys regional identity.
1Systematic Destruction of History
Ongoing conflict in southern Lebanon has led to the widespread destruction of ancient monuments, homes, and religious sites. Local officials and artists report that entire villages have been levelled, with historical fabric dating back to Phoenician and Roman periods facing total erasure. Residents describe this as a calculated effort to sever ties with land.
2UNESCO Sites Under Threat
Despite enhanced protection status granted by UNESCO to 73 sites, major landmarks like Beaufort Castle and Tyre have suffered significant damage. Israeli military operations, including the detonation of 700 tonnes of explosives near Beaufort, have bypassed international safeguards. Regional directors report that they cannot access occupied zones to assess the full extent of damage.
3Documenting the Vanishing Landscape
The heritage organization Biladi has partnered with university students to log over 850 sites across 105 villages. Their surveys reveal that approximately 85% of historical buildings in monitored areas are destroyed. Researchers are prioritizing the documentation of mosques, shrines, and pre-1950s architecture to ensure a record survives for future reconstruction efforts and historical memory.
4The Loss of Religious Sites
Data indicates that nearly 98% of Shia religious sites, including mosques and mausoleums, have been lost in the conflict zones. Beyond physical structures, historic cemeteries have been bulldozed, an act described by experts as total desacralisation. These actions are viewed by local observers as deliberate attempts to remove all traces of indigenous community presence.
5Uprooting Ancient Olive Groves
The destruction extends to the natural landscape, specifically centuries-old olive trees. Reports confirm that fields have been stripped of trees, some cultivated for over 250 years. A lawsuit filed in France alleges that these trees were uprooted and transported to Israel, signaling that the conflict is targeting the economic and cultural roots of villages.
6Personal Loss and Displacement
Renowned artist Oussama Baalbaki lost his ancestral home in Odaisseh, which his father intended to become a cultural center. The house, containing rare manuscripts and family tombs, was destroyed in a systematic detonation captured on video. This loss has left the family disconnected from their ancestral land and the physical history of their heritage.
7Art as Resistance
Filmmaker Ahmad Ghossein transformed his father’s daily documentation of their village into a video installation titled The Sound of Silence. The work captures the mundane beauty of a village that was later levelled into white sand. Ghossein views this creative act as a form of resistance against the erasure of his family's existence.
8Rescuing Private Libraries
Riad Al-Assaad is leading efforts to salvage private family libraries in villages like Zibqin. Teams are recovering thousands of handwritten volumes from damaged homes, cleaning and cataloging them for future reclamation. With one library of 6,000 books already destroyed by incendiary bombs, the team operates under extreme urgency to save remaining cultural artifacts.
9The Challenge of Reconstruction
Archaeologist Joanne Farchakh Bajjaly warns that any future reconstruction plan must integrate heritage preservation to be legitimate. She fears that without documentation, the history of southern Lebanon will fade into myth. The ministry of culture is currently pressing for heritage to be a central pillar in all post-war rebuilding strategies for the region.
10Operational Constraints and Risks
Cultural officials face severe risks, with staff members like Mohana Chahine suffering serious injuries during drone strikes. The ministry relies on low-resolution satellite imagery to monitor occupied sites, as ground access is impossible. Funding for restoration remains scarce, as international donors are hesitant to commit resources while the active conflict continues to escalate daily.
11Living in the Nylon Era
Residents like Riad Al-Assaad describe their current reality as the nylon era, where damaged homes are patched with plastic to survive. Despite the destruction of 65 houses in his village alone, he continues to provide civil defense support, including food and medicine, while simultaneously scanning mosques to preserve their architectural data for future generations.
12Legacy of the Conflict
The systematic destruction of southern Lebanon’s physical and cultural landscape represents a profound crisis for regional identity. As local actors race to document what remains, the focus shifts toward ensuring that the history of these communities is not permanently erased. The survival of this heritage remains a critical component of the people's future return.