Daily blackouts put Lebanon’s ancient artefacts at risk

Electricity – in short supply in Lebanon – is needed to preserve many of the National Museum of Beirut’s priceless archaeological treasures. “You have to fight and to continue – especially because, despite the lack of electricity, we had between 150 and 250 people visiting daily,” museum director Anne-Marie Afeiche told Al Jazeera. “Like the country, we don’t know what will happen tomorrow.” ‘This is our treasure, our heritage’ Opened in 1942, Lebanon’s principal archaeology museum currently displays about 1,300 artefacts from a collection of 100,000 pieces ranging from prehistoric times to the Roman, Phoenician, Byzantine, and Mamluk periods. “So really, we dodged the bullet, as it was only two weeks with very bad power situation and now things are better.” The International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas has been working with the museum since the 2020 Beirut port blast, pledging $5m to aid cultural institutions and monuments damaged in the explosion or threatened by the country’s challenges. “Instead of restoring the generators when it’s unsure that there will be enough fuel supply, we chose a more sustainable approach focusing on renewable energy to make sure the museum is autonomous in terms of the power supply.” Despite the urgency of the project, the solar panels cannot be installed until the council of ministers officially approves the grant and all the technical aspects are mapped out.