Culture

The meghli, emblematic spicy pudding of Lebanese cuisine, celebrates the births and great moments of life. Based on ground rice, cinnamon, cumin and fennel, garnished with nuts and dried fruits, it symbolizes sharing, fertility and joy, transmitted from generation to generation in Lebanese homes.

The znoud el-sit, laminated rolls stuffed with d-ashta and then immersed in a syrup fragrant with orange blossom or rose, are a pillar of the Levantine pastry. Born in the Syrian-Lebanese kitchens, they are now experiencing a revival, between traditional recipes for Ramadan and lighter or merged versions.

Lebanon is home to an exceptional flora, rich in plants endemic to the limestone mountains with sunny cliffs. From the Astragalus libanoticus to the Origanum libanoticum, to the rare iris and peonies, these species tell a fragile natural heritage. Climate threats and human pressure make their protection essential.

The bombardment reported on 13 April against the archaeological citadel of Tyre is not an ordinary collateral damage. According to the Lebanese public agency, the strike hit a UNESCO World Heritage site, already documented as vulnerable and covered by a strengthened protection regime. The stake is twofold: heritage, because Tyre concentrates an essential part of Mediterranean and Lebanese history; legal, because historical monuments and protected cultural property fall within a specific framework of international humanitarian law and can, depending on the circumstances, place the issue of war crime at the forefront.

Philippe de Gaulle, the eldest son of General de Gaulle, died in Paris at the age of 102. A veteran of free France, admiral, inspector general of the Navy and then senator of Paris, he devoted a large part of his life to defending his father's political and memorial heritage. Its disappearance closes a major chapter in Gaullian history and the French memory of the twentieth century.

Unesco places 39 new Lebanese sites under enhanced protection, bringing the total number of protected cultural places in Lebanon to 73.

In Paris, the exhibition dedicated to Byblos became a diplomatic gesture. Emmanuel Macron reaffirms French support for Lebanon, its sovereignty and heritage, in a context of war. The event at the Arab World Institute combines culture, archaeology and political message of solidarity with Beirut and its institutions.

Mahmoud Darwich remains an essential voice in understanding the Arab present. Between exile, memory and identity, his work goes beyond the cause الفلس Whilst he offers a universal reading of contemporary crises. More than a poet, he embodies a literary key to grasp the fractures, displacement and dignity in the present Arab world.