World Heritage-listed Tyre at Risk

The Unesco World Heritage Committee has included Tyre on the World Heritage List at Risk, responding to a request from the Lebanese Government to address the damage already observed and the persistent threats associated with the war. The decision, taken during the 48th session of the Committee in Busan, Republic of Korea, does not remove the city from its status as a world heritage. On the contrary, it recognizes that the conditions necessary for the preservation of its exceptional universal value are no longer met. The Lebanese Minister of Culture, Ghassan Salamé, welcomed a measure that should attract the attention of the Member States, facilitate international assistance and strengthen the monitoring of a site exposed to bombing, vibration, urban destruction and the risk of looting. For Tyre, this is less a distinction than an alarm signal to the international community.

A decision requested by the Lebanese Government

Ghassan Salamé thanked the World Heritage Committee for having responded positively to Beirut’s official request. In his message, the Minister stressed the exceptional historical importance of Tyre and the dangers that current conflicts pose to the ancient city and its environment. The Board found that the property was faced with both a proven and potential danger. This formulation has a precise scope. It means that damage is no longer limited to assumptions related to proximity to fighting. Violations have already been noted, while the continuation of hostilities may result in further losses. Registration offers Lebanon a more visible international framework for requesting expertise, mobilizing funding and requiring regular monitoring. However, it does not create immediate physical protection against strikes and does not replace the obligation of the belligerents to spare the site.

The decision adopted in Busan follows several alerts issued by Lebanon and Unesco. The organization had already expressed concern at the state of conservation in Tyre, which was also placed under the enhanced protection regime for cultural property in armed conflict. It had confirmed damage to the site and reported the risk of further destruction or looting. The Committee now calls on the parties involved in the hostilities to refrain from any action that might aggravate the situation and comply with their international obligations. The classification at risk therefore provides an additional basis for Lebanese approaches, but its effectiveness will depend on the response of Member States and the access granted to technical teams. Specialists should be able to document impacts, stabilize fragile structures and monitor all archaeological areas.

Tyre is not removed from the world heritage

The term « world heritage at risk » may suggest that Tyre would lose its ranking or that Unesco would sanction Lebanon. It is the opposite. The World Heritage List at Risk is used to indicate that a listed asset faces serious threats and that urgent mobilization is needed. Tyre therefore remains fully registered as a World Heritage Site. Its placement on the special list should speed up cooperation, define corrective measures and obtain international assistance. The mechanism can also facilitate access to the World Heritage Fund and attract technical partners. In return, it requires Lebanon to present up-to-date information, strengthen property management and follow a conservation programme. The decision is therefore not an end in itself. It opens a more demanding monitoring phase in which the state will have to demonstrate its ability to protect the site despite the war and the collapse of many public services.

The Committee based its decision on the deterioration of the conditions necessary for the conservation of the exceptional universal value of Tyre. This concept refers to the historical, archaeological and cultural qualities which justified the initial listing of 1984. The city is not only worth a few isolated columns or monuments. It forms a set linked to its role in Phoenician history, the development of Mediterranean navigation, its colonies and its Roman and Byzantine heritages. Protection must therefore cover visible remains, the archaeological layers still buried, the relations between the different areas and their urban environment. A strike that destroys an old house, cuts an access or throws debris on an archaeological area may alter this consistency, even if the best known structures remain standing.

A Phoenician city with a major Mediterranean role

Situated about 80 kilometres south of Beirut, Tyre was one of the main Phoenician cities. His navigators and merchants participated in the creation of counters and colonies around the Mediterranean, including Carthage according to historical tradition. The city also remains associated with the production of purple, a prestigious dye obtained from marine molluscs. Its history spans several millennia and brings together Phoenician, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, medieval and Ottoman periods. The registered site includes the Al-Mina and Al-Bass sectors. The former preserves urban remains close to the sea, with columns, streets and structures linked to the ancient island city. The second houses a vast necropolis, a monumental arch, an ancient roadway, an aqueduct and one of the largest preserved racetracks in the Roman world.

This wealth makes Tyre particularly vulnerable to modern conflict. The remains are distributed in a living city, surrounded by inhabited neighbourhoods, roads, shops and infrastructure. Archaeological areas cannot be isolated from their environment. Bombings can produce vibrations, projections, fires and ground movements well beyond the point of impact. Conservation services must also be able to circulate, monitor sites, evacuate water and quickly repair fragile elements. When people are displaced, roads are cut off and technical teams can no longer intervene, risks increase even without further direct strike. The looting, infiltration, erosion and degradation of temporary protections become more difficult to prevent.

Damage now recognized

Listing at risk is based on damage and threats that the Committee considers serious enough to justify an exceptional measure. Unesco reported that violations had been confirmed in Tyre in the context of military escalation. Information available includes environmental impacts of archaeological areas, destruction of traditional buildings and debris that has reached protected areas. An old house near Al-Bass was destroyed during recent operations, while elements of the site were affected. However, full inspections remain difficult. Some areas were made dangerous by bombardments, unstable buildings or unexploded ordnance. The current balance sheet should therefore be considered provisional. Further damage can be discovered when teams access all sectors and compare recent records with previous records.

Damage is not only measured by the number of broken columns. Vibration can move stones, crack mosaics, weaken mortars or destabilize walls without causing immediate collapse. Effects may occur several months later, when water infiltrates new cracks or changes in temperature increase displacement. Preservation therefore requires accurate surveys, sensors, close-up photographs and impact mapping. Lebanon will also have to distinguish between the old damage caused by erosion or previous conflicts and the damage caused since October 2023. This allocation will condition future claims for compensation, emergency work and documentation of responsibilities. Without continuous access to the site, specialists may lose essential information.

Israeli strikes at the heart of the alarm

The Lebanese request and the Unesco decision came after a series of Israeli strikes on and around Tyre. The bombings affected parts of the city, caused destruction, displaced residents and exposed the remains to repeated shock waves. The Israeli authorities claim to target Hezbollah’s military positions and infrastructure. This justification does not remove their obligations to cultural property and civilian populations. Each operation must respect the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution. The alleged presence of a military objective in a historic city does not turn the whole of Tyre into a target. On the contrary, it requires stricter preparation, the choice of the least damaging means and the abandonment of an attack when the foreseeable losses become excessive compared to the military advantage expected.

The Busan decision does not designate a single official in its title, but it intervenes in a factual context clearly related to the Israeli operations that have affected the city. Lebanon intends to use this international recognition to increase pressure on Israel and document attacks. The political significance is important: the permanent inscription in the Unesco archives that the heritage value of Tyre is subject to a proven and potential danger during war. It can serve as a basis for future diplomatic and legal approaches. However, it does not guarantee the cessation of strikes. The precedent of other protected sites in Lebanon shows that international status is not sufficient when sanctions mechanisms remain weak and monitoring teams do not have permanent access.

Enhanced protection already granted

Prior to the World Heritage List at Risk, the archaeological sites in Tyre had already benefited from enhanced protection under the second 1999 Protocol to the 1954 Hague Convention. This scheme targets cultural property of exceptional importance and imposes a high level of protection during conflicts. The combination of the two regimes now reinforces Tyre’s file. Enhanced protection concerns immediate military obligations, while the List at Risk organizes the monitoring of conservation status and assistance under the World Heritage Convention. In theory, this combination gives Lebanon more powerful diplomatic, technical and legal tools. In practice, it will have to be accompanied by rigorous documentation and continuous mobilisation to prevent the decision from remaining declarative.

The Committee commended Lebanon for its efforts to strengthen protection mechanisms, but considered that the current conditions no longer ensured the preservation of the property. This assessment highlights the limitations faced by the State. The Directorate-General for Antiquities lacks human and financial resources, while war restricts travel. Municipalities must manage the immediate needs of residents and damage to infrastructure. Heritage teams must intervene in areas that are sometimes dangerous, without adequate equipment or permanent monitoring capacity. Enrollment at risk must therefore lead to concrete support: experts, equipment, emergency consolidation, digitization of archives, three-dimensional surveys and security financing. Without these means, hazard recognition will not be enough to reduce the risk.

What Tyre can get from this registration

The first benefit expected concerns international visibility. The situation in Tyre will now be among the priority issues monitored by the World Heritage Committee. Reports on its conservation status should specify the damage, measures taken and needs. Such monitoring may involve Member States, specialized agencies and donors. Lebanon will be able to request international assistance for urgent operations, team training and the preparation of a safeguard plan. Registration can also facilitate coordination between Unesco, Icomos, Iccrom and national authorities. Finally, it provides a framework for establishing corrective measures to eventually remove Tyre from the List at risk once threats have decreased and conservation conditions have been restored.

The second benefit concerns documentation. A city exposed to war must have a precise reference state for each sector. International partners can assist in satellite surveys, numerical models and photographic inventories. This data will detect changes, prepare restorations and identify damage related to military operations. They may also be used for investigative purposes or in claims for compensation. Documentation should cover Al-Mina, Al-Bass, buffer zones and the surrounding historic urban fabric. It will have to integrate traditional houses, old ways and visual relations with the sea. The Committee ‘ s decision mentions the property and its perimeter, which confirms that protection cannot be limited to the most famous remains.

A living city, not an isolated museum

Tyre remains a inhabited city, with neighborhoods, shops, a port, schools and activities related to fishing, tourism and services. Its heritage is part of daily life and the local economy. The bombings thus simultaneously affect the monuments and the inhabitants surrounding them. The closure of an archaeological site deprives guides, employees and income traders. Displacement of families reduces informal monitoring and weakens urban life. The destruction of old houses alters the continuity of the historical landscape. A conservation strategy cannot therefore separate the preservation of the stones from the protection of the communities. The return of residents, the repair of networks and support for economic activities will be among the conditions necessary for sustainable conservation.

This dimension should guide the use of international funds. A restoration limited to a few prestigious monuments would not suffice if the surrounding areas remained destroyed or emptied. The safeguard plan will have to combine archaeology, urban planning, housing and economic recovery. It should avoid a standardized reconstruction that would erase traditional houses and old urban forms. It will also have to involve people in decision-making, as they know the uses, paths and buildings that are not always included in official inventories. Enrolment at risk can become a mobilization tool for the entire city, provided that the aid is not absorbed solely by studies and produces visible interventions on the ground.

Risk of looting and loss of information

Unesco also mentioned the danger of looting. Conflict periods create favourable conditions for clandestine searches, theft of objects and trafficking in antiques. When guards can no longer visit the site and the authorities focus their resources on the safety of people, the sites become more vulnerable. Tyre still contains unexplored archaeological layers and objects whose scientific value depends on their context. An artifact removed illegally loses much of the information related to its position, depth and surrounding structures. Even if it reappears later in the market, part of its history becomes unrecoverable. Protection should therefore include access monitoring, inventory of reserves and international cooperation against illicit trade.

The risk also concerns archives and deposits. Plans, photographs, search reports and preserved objects must be secured, digitized and, where necessary, moved to suitable locations. Any evacuation must, however, be documented to avoid losses and challenges. Lebanon will need to strengthen coordination between the Directorate-General for Antiquities, security forces, customs and foreign partners. Sales platforms and auction houses will have to be alerted to objects likely to come from illegal excavations. Listing at risk can facilitate this vigilance, as it draws attention to the vulnerability of the site and the need to control Lebanese antiquities.

An inscription that reveals the scale of the crisis

Tyre becomes a new Lebanese site placed on the World Heritage List at risk, after the International Rachid Karamé Fair in Tripoli, registered in 2023 due to its state of conservation. The causes differ, but the two dossiers show the fragility of the national heritage in the face of war, lack of maintenance and institutional weakening. Tyre adds a dimension directly related to hostilities. His situation is in line with concerns about Beaufort, Chamaa, Doubayeh, Nabatiyah and several historic villages in the South. Damage has already been confirmed at some sites, while others remain inaccessible. Lebanon must therefore avoid treating each monument as an isolated file. A national strategy is needed to document attacks, prioritize emergencies and coordinate aid.

The Busan decision can become a support point for this strategy. It officially recognizes that the protection of Tyre can no longer wait for a general return to stability. Interventions must begin during the crisis, when conditions permit. Temporary protections must be laid, fragile structures must be consolidated, water must be evacuated, reserves must be secured and emergency response teams must be trained. The Ministry of Culture should also publish regular information in order to avoid rumours and maintain international attention. Classification at risk will be useful only if it produces a clear chain between the Committee’s decision, the needs identified in Tyre, the funding obtained and the work carried out.

Next steps expected

The Lebanese government must now prepare, together with Unesco and the advisory bodies, a programme of corrective measures. It will have to define the desired conservation status in order to allow future removal from the List at risk. It will also need to set a timetable, responsibilities and verifiable indicators. The immediate priority is the full assessment of damage and the security of exposed areas. An international mission must enter Tyre as soon as conditions permit. She will have to work with Lebanese specialists, who know the history of the excavations and the old frailties of the site. The Committee will also await updated reports on the implementation of the measures and on the evolution of hostilities.

However, the most urgent issue remains military. As long as bombardments and the risk of further strikes persist, no lasting restoration can be guaranteed. Lebanon will have to use the Unesco decision to seek effective protection of the perimeter, the cessation of any attack likely to damage it and compliance with the obligations imposed by international law. Ghassan Salamé obtained an important recognition of the danger. It must now transform this support into access, expertise and resources. Future developments will be measured by concrete elements: the arrival of a mission, the publication of an initial detailed assessment, the securing of structures and the commitment of the Member States to finance urgent interventions around Al-Mina, d’Al-Bass and neighbouring historic neighbourhoods.