The eight-week course on Conservation of Archaeological Sites concluded at a closing ceremony in Beirut held under the patronage of the Lebanese Minister of Culture HE Dr Tarek Mitri, ICCROM, the UNESCO Beirut Office and the Université Libanaise (UL).

Twenty-one professionals from the Arab region (including archaeologists, architects, conservator-restorers, and site managers) participated in the course, which focused on site conservation processes and on the principles and methods of site management and planning.

By the end of the course, participants had acquired a critical approach to the conservation of archaeological sites by applying the basic (international) principles of heritage conservation processes, and had identified priorities for appropriate interventions at archaeological sites in their home countries.

Participants reported on the course results and projects they developed during the course to the Directors of Antiquities of Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. Follow-up activities were also discussed with ATHAR Programme Partners. Participants were awarded Certificates of Attendance at the end of the closing session.

The closing ceremony was attended by representatives of the partner institutions including: Mr. Frederic Husseini, Director of Antiquities of Lebanon, representative of the Lebanese Minister of Culture (H.E Dr. Tarek Mitri); Dr. Abdel-Razzaq Moaz, Deputy Minister of Culture, Syria; Mr. Faisal Al-Qudah, representative of the Director of the Department of Antiquities of Jordan (Dr. Fawwaz AL Khraysheh); Dr. Ramzi Salameh, Director of UNESCO Office Beirut; Dr. Hashem Ayyoubi, Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts, representative of the President of the Université Libanaise;
Dr. Rawya Majzoub Baraké, Director of the Centre d'Etudes Supérieures Spécialisées en Restauration et Conservation des Monuments et Sites Historiques, Université Libanaise; Ms. Daniela Tonon, First Secretary, Italian Embassy in Lebanon; Mr. Antonio Righetti, Cooperazione Italiana Lebanon; Dr. Paolo Pichardi representative of the Cultural Counselor; and Zaki Aslan, Co-ordinator of ICCROM's ATHAR Programme.

updated on: 27 January, 2010