Heritage protection · 2018 — today
From the 2020 Beirut port blast to war in Lebanon and the 2023 Syria earthquake, Biladi has built Lebanon's first emergency-response infrastructure for cultural heritage: trained rescue teams, anti-trafficking networks, and rapid-deployment protection kits.
0101 — Training
Created after the 2020 Beirut blast, Jouhouzia trains soldiers, civil defence, museum staff and archaeology students to safeguard heritage in crisis. Across 150 hours of lectures, simulations and field visits, teams learn emergency response, documentation and Blue Shield risk mapping under the 1954 Hague Convention.
0202 — Education for professionals
A university course strengthening emergency response capacity, developed at Koç University and the British Institute at Ankara, then adapted with Lebanese University professors. Its five parts combine lectures, expert interviews and case studies including the Abu Ali River flood and Beirut blast.
0303 — Action in emergency, 2020
With support from Prince Claus, ALIPH, the British Council and Gerda Henkel Stiftung, Biladi and Blue Shield International secured fifteen damaged historic houses in Medawar, Rmeil, Achrafieh and Saifi after the August 4 explosion.
0404 — Action in emergency, 2020–21
A Cultural Emergency Response grant allowed Biladi and Blue Shield Lebanon to inventory, remove and stabilise 165 paintings from Sursock Palace and 25 from the Feghali collection. Students, military personnel and volunteers helped move the works into climate-controlled storage.
0505 — Action in emergency, 2024
From August to October 2024, Biladi strengthened emergency preparedness at the National Museum of Beirut and Directorate General of Antiquities storage areas. Teams cleared hazardous waste and blocked passages, prepared an emergency room with around 80 wooden protection panels and four toolboxes, secured fragile collections and shelving, and placed approximately 1,000 sandbags at the museum’s emergency door. Fire protection, reinforced windows and new security doors added further safeguards.
0606 — Implementing UNESCO convention
Working with the Directorate General of Antiquities, Biladi installed the Blue Shield emblem on twenty heritage sites. Recognised under the 1954 Hague Convention, the emblem marks cultural property that must be protected during armed conflict.
0707 — Training partners on the ground
At UNIFIL headquarters and the Naqoura and Tyre World Heritage sites, thirty participants from UNIFIL, the Lebanese Armed Forces, the DGA and Tyre municipality learned to protect cultural property safely and helped draft a cultural protection action plan.
0808 — Fighting illicit trade
Launched in 2017 with Blue Shield International and Norwegian Embassy support, Esterdad builds networks across Lebanon, Syria and Iraq to investigate trafficking and repatriate stolen objects. More than one hundred archaeologists and lawyers trained over three years.
0909 — Cross-border response, 2023
After the February 2023 earthquake, Biladi hosted a two-day Chtaura training for thirteen participants from Syria's Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums. Teams learned the digital assessment platform and received field equipment for damage surveys.
1010 — Rehabilitation
From August to December 2022, Biladi transformed the Greek Melkite Catholic Archdiocese of Zahle's sacred art exhibition into a structured museum. Icons, vestures, liturgical objects, documents and medals were inventoried across two floors with bilingual interpretation.
Heritage protection saves what already exists. Heritage education makes sure the next generation knows why it was worth saving.