BEIRUT – The international campaign for the restoration and restoration of Beirut’s heritage will be led by the United Nations cultural agency, it said on Thursday, citing officials who said that about 60 historic buildings in the Lebanese capital risks were of collapse after devastating last week explosion.
On August 4, about 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate stored in the port of Beirut blew up, destroying the main commercial hub and spreading death and wreckage for miles around.
The blast, the most destructive in Lebanon’s troubled history, killed more than 170 people, injured more than 6,000 and caused damage worth between $ 10 and $ 15 billion.
Among the damaged structures were museums, historic buildings, art galleries and religious sites in Beirut.
The most affected areas in the capital were the historic quarters of Gemayzeh and Mar Mikhael which are close to the harbor and which were known for their active nightlife, with many old buildings turning into pubs as a restaurant. Those streets were littered with debris from buildings and roofs by broken glass in the wake of the explosion.
“The international community has sent a strong signal of support to Lebanon following this tragedy,” said Ernesto Ottone R., UNESCO Director – General for Culture. “UNESCO is committed to leading the response in the field of culture, which should play an important part in wider reconstruction and recovery efforts.”
The UNESCO statement quoted Sarkis Khoury, director general of antiquities at the Ministry of Culture in Lebanon, as saying that at least 8,000 buildings, many concentrated in Gemayzeh and Mar Mikhael, had been hit. Among them are 640 historic buildings, about 60 of which are at risk of collapse, he said.
It was also influenced by the eastern neighborhood of Beirut of Achrafieh, where the Sursock Museum is located, as well as other neighborhoods that are home to the National Museum and the Archaeological Museum of the American University of Beirut, UNESCO said.
UNESCO said it would lead the international mobilization “for the restoration and reconstruction of Beirut’s culture and heritage.”
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There have been concerns in Lebanon for years about historic buildings being sold, then demolished to be replaced by high-rise ones. There have been reports in recent days that middlemen have been in contact with owners of damaged historic buildings and are offering high prices to buy their property.
Minister of Finance Finance Minister Ghazi Wazni on Wednesday issued a decree preventing the sale of any historic building without obtaining permission from the Ministry of Culture. The Ministry of Finance said in a statement that the move is aimed at preventing any “explosion”.
Minister of Culture Minister Abbas Murtada said on Thursday that his ministry was working to prevent any exploitation by some businessmen adding that the restoration of the damaged historic buildings is estimated to cost around $ 300 million. He added that teams from his ministry set plans to renovate the buildings.
