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The severe damage that affected the Lebanese capital, after the explosion of August 4 last year, affected many places and historical places scattered throughout its neighborhoods. The Sursock Museum in the Ashrafieh area is one of the best-known symbols of Beirut, which received its share of the force from the explosion. In addition to its six floors (4 of which are lower) and its stained glass facades, the explosion also affected part of its wooden decoration, worked plaster walls and ceilings, and several of its possessions. At that time, some 50 works of art, including oil, paper and sculptures, were declared damaged. The most important is that of the famous Dutch artist Kees Van Dangen, of the owner of the palace, Nicolas “Sursock”.
France today extends its hand to the museum and announces the signing of an agreement between the French Ministry of Culture and him, to rehabilitate the historic first floor of the museum and the damaged paintings in it.
Thus, the value of the financial aid provided by France amounted to about 500 thousand euros. This support is accompanied by contributions from many French cultural bodies, such as the French National Heritage Institute and the Georges Pompidou Center. The French company Saint-Gobain is also committed to providing all the necessary glass for the repair of windows and stained glass facades, as well as reconstruction materials.
At a press conference convened by the museum, this initiative was launched in the presence of the French ambassador to Beirut, Anne Greau, and the former Minister of Culture, Tariq Mitri, who currently chairs the museum committee. Zeina Arida, director of the Sursock Museum, also participated in the conference.
In her speech during the conference, the French ambassador indicated that after the August explosion, France contributed to the reconstruction of hospitals, schools and many cultural landmarks. France, in honor of the cultural history of Lebanon, decided to undertake this initiative. He stressed that this project is an expression of the solidarity of the French with Lebanon, the people and the State. And he affirmed it in his speech: «This assistance testifies to the will of the French to work sensually to reactivate the cultural sector through the actions of official bodies and French private companies and institutions. French citizens have also jumped on this issue through their generous contribution to numerous solidarity funds with culture, which are part of a comprehensive work that has been carried out for six months. The French ambassador indicated that President Macron’s visit to Lebanon after the explosion and his exposure to the great damage that affected the capital, contributed to the acceleration of these initiatives and their activation on the ground. During the conference, he announced another initiative underway under the title “Nafs”, which would help 100 Lebanese artists, who were directly injured by the blast and whose production was halted several months ago.
This is the first initiative of its kind that France has carried out within the framework of emergency aid in cooperation with some 40 French host institutions.
In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, former Minister Tariq Mitri confirmed that the French initiative to rebuild the Sursock Museum is a sign of the great friendship between Lebanon and France. And he adds: “Several official and private parties have taken measures of solidarity with Lebanon as a culture. After the explosion of August 4, a network of friends and individual and official institutions helped us ”. In the context of his speech, he explains: “All the participants in the workforce are Lebanese who are engineers and supervisors of reconstruction workshops. We hope that the general setting of the Museum (Sursock) returns exactly as it was before the explosion, and we celebrate the end of its restoration touches next fall. “
And if there is an idea to erect a memorial related to the explosion incident, it says: “In fact, we have not thought about this issue yet, but I personally decided that we would press the broken and stacked iron at the entrance of the museum and convert it. in a memorial that symbolizes our adherence to life, however difficult it may be. “
The director of the Sursock Museum, Zeina Arida, said in an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat that “the reconstruction cost of the museum amounts to about 3 million dollars, half of which has been raised so far, with the contribution of France. and the Swiss Foundation (Aliph) to save heritage, in addition to the assistance we received from individuals amounted to about $ 300,000 ”. As for future steps to be taken to restore the rest of the museum’s floors, a petition explains in the context of his speech: “There, in addition to France, which undertook the restoration of the first floor of the museum, Italy and UNESCO , these two parties will also contribute, which will cover the entire expected cost ”. As for whether the Sursock Museum will remain absent from any cultural activity during its restoration, she tells Al-Sharq Al-Awsat: “The heart of the Sursock Museum will not stop beating. For this reason, we are working on a set of cultural activities that will begin next April. Among these activities is the reopening of the museum’s restaurant, as well as the projection of cinematographic films in the exterior courtyard of the museum. We also wish to establish other activities in the auditorium and others for the children, in case the epidemic situation and the limitation of its spread contribute to this.
It should be noted that France assisted several cultural institutions in Lebanon shortly after the explosion, including its donation of € 300,000 to film projects and € 70,000 to the National Library.
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