Salah Opens Archaeological Site 'Qalat al-Husn' in Maaser el-Chouf: New Sites Await Discovery

Minister of Culture Ghassan Salamé inaugurated the "Qalat al-Husn" archaeological site in the town of Maaser el-Chouf on the occasion of Heritage Day, in cooperation with the Italian archaeological mission, and at the invitation of the Maaser el-Chouf municipality and the Arz el-Chouf Association.

Joining Minister Salamé were Italy’s Ambassador to Lebanon Fabrizio Marchetti, the General Director of the Directorate General of Antiquities Engineer Sarkis Khoury, Maaser el-Chouf Mayor Albert Najem, along with several personalities, cultural and heritage figures, and officials from the Arz el-Chouf Association.

The event began with a welcoming speech by Mayor Albert Najem, who expressed hope that the archaeological site would become a productive cultural and tourist destination for the town and region, noting its significance as emphasized by experts in the field, and thanking all those involved in completing the project.

Salamé

On his part, Minister Salamé spoke, pointing out that "this site, like others in Lebanon, has unique characteristics not found elsewhere: first, its discovery in an unexpected location, indicating that our Lebanese land is fertile with sites yet to be uncovered; the second is the people’s cooperation with this project, starting with property owners who allowed the Directorate General of Antiquities to work on their land before any expropriation, due to their interest and pride in knowing their land holds such a treasure—thank you to them."

The event concluded with a field tour across the site, during which attendees observed the ongoing conservation and documentation work being carried out by the Italian mission and the Directorate General of Antiquities.