After a series of Israeli airstrikes, the ancient Phoenician coastal city of Tire in Lebanon, known for its pristine beaches, ancient harbor and Roman ruins, became a ghost town.

In late October, Israel dropped several bombs between the main heritage sites in the city, including the Hippodrome, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a group of seaside sites associated with the Phoenicians and Crusaders. The strikes came amid an escalation in Israel’s war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, which intensified after September 17, when hundreds of pagers used by members of the militant group exploded across the country.

According to the Lebanese Ministry of Culture and Joanne Bajjaly, archaeologist and founder and director of the Lebanese NGO Biladi, other heritage sites in Lebanon were also affected.

These include Nabatieh’s historic 19th-century Ottoman-style square, which includes the Saraya and Midan neighborhoods; ancient religious landmarks including Tayr Debba Mosque, Kfar Tebnit Mosque; Dardghaya Church; and the Blida Mosque — all designated as heritage buildings. In addition, archaeological sites such as Tebnin Castle, an important Crusader castle, were directly hit by airstrikes.

According to Lebanon’s culture minister, Israeli airstrikes in eastern Lebanon yesterday severely damaged an Ottoman-era building close to Roman ruins in the city of Baalbek, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to some of the world’s largest examples of the imperial world. Roman architecture. At least 40 people have been killed in these recent attacks. A previous strike in the Baalbek area in late October killed 19 people, according to the country’s health ministry.

Due to nearby bombing, Bajjaly says, one of the stones on Baalbek’s AD 1243 Qubbat Doris “Qube” or “dome,” the site of a Muslim shrine, fell to the ground. “The monument itself is still standing. even though the strikes were very close to that,” she says.

“What we don’t know yet is the level of impact of the continued seismic movements and vibrations on the monuments due to the bombings,” she adds. “This damage is unforeseen. Currently, no one can go to assess the damage caused by the war or measure the strength of the vibration on the ground. There is also the damage of continuous air pollution and chemicals that are in the air. No one will know how they will affect the stones in the monuments,” says Bajjaly.

Unesco has called an emergency session for November 18 to implement urgent measures to protect Lebanese cultural sites, following a request from the Lebanese Minister of Culture, Mohammed Al-Murtada. The Ministry of Culture will be represented in this meeting by Moustapha Adib, the ambassador of Lebanon to the UN, and the general director of antiquities, Sarkis Khoury.

In response to the situation in Lebanon, Aliph, a Geneva-based global fund dedicated to the protection and rehabilitation of heritage in conflict and post-conflict situations, has contributed $100,000 to these emergency measures.

In addition, Aliph, together with the General Directorate of Antiquities of Lebanon and Biladi, is working to protect the collections of several Lebanese museums.

Zeina Arida, director of Mathaf: The Arab Museum of Modern Art in Doha, Qatar, and former director of the Sursock Museum in Beirut, says: “This war marks the first time that the Sursock has closed completely. All artwork is in storage.”

Valéry Freland, chief executive of Aliph, says: “We try to develop preventive measures for countries in conflict, but it is often difficult to predict when such measures will be needed. We still have to assess the extent of the damage.”