Historic Ancient Roman Ruins in Baalbek Remain Strong After Israeli Air Strikes; Locals Seek Cultural Protection

Israeli airstrikes were continuously met in Lebanon over the past few weeks, but an ancient Roman ruin is not standing down.

Specifically located in Baalbek, the mayor announced the survival of the ruins, but local officials remain concerned with its future.

According to ART News, international groups are receiving requests to protect the UNESCO World Heritage, considering it's still among the best-preserved ancient Roman sites out of all global builds.

Israeli Airstrikes on Baalbek

Approximately 50,000 people were forced to evacuate Baalbek, killing 19 people in total. While the Israeli forces stated that these actions targeted Hezbollah command centers, the resulting destruction still threatened the safety of several cultural treasures in the area.

The place is home to ancient temples dedicated to the Roman Gods, known as Jupiter, Mercury, and Venues, and has been built for over 200 years. The surviving site was made in the 1st century BCE and is one of the leading examples of Imperial Roman architecture and is considered Lebanon's historical heritage.

Since last month, The Architect's Newspaper stated that the country's Culture Minister, Mohammad Mortada, has called on a Lebanon representative at UNESCO to underline the risk made to the ancient city of Baalbek and its impending ruins due to Israeli airstrikes. Israel was also urged to respect international laws to protect cultural sites.

Besides Baalbek's ancient ruins, other historical sites across the region already suffered major damage from the ongoing conflict, like its mosque and art institutions.