The Beirut blast ruined most buildings in the surrounding areas, leaving their owners to figure out how to pick up the shattered pieces of what once was called home.
Museums, libraries, and other heritage buildings that were for so long Beirut cultural pride are also crumbling.
For that reason, a large group of experts came together to save them and restore Beirut’s cultural identity, launching Beirut Heritage Initiative (BHI).
Its committee is formed of heritage associations, renowned architects expert in heritage and restoration, sociologists, economists, and lawyers, and is collaborating with heritage protection organizations in Lebanon.
Among them are the National Heritage Foundation, which is in charge of overseeing the work and allocating resources, and the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage, which has set up its team in Beirut to help with the restoration and conservation process.
In addition, BHI Committee is working closely with Rebuild Beirut and is using its resources and volunteers to assess damages and conserve the buildings prone to collapse.
According to the Committee, around 600 heritage buildings were impacted by the massive explosion on August 4th, which is alarming.
Beirut is home to a rich architectural variety of different centuries, considering how ancient in time Lebanon’s capital is.
These heritage structures aren’t just pretty buildings scattered around Beirut. They are survivors of a long history with their own stories and carriers of a spirit that was always adamant to prevail.
Hence, the crucial work of this mobilized collective force.
The tremendous dedication and determination of the Lebanese people, in the country and the diaspora, to restore and rebuild Beirut have been impressive.
They are the spirit driving the rebirth, the same spirit they’ve inherited through the centuries of a nation adamant to overcome the challenges, whatever their enormity, and prosper.
