13 May. The ATHAR-MOSAIKON course on Conservation and Management of Mosaics on Archaeological Sites has begun with a workshop at the World Heritage Site of Tyre,  Lebanon. 

This course is a component of the MOSAIKON Initiative, a strategic effort to address priorities for the conservation and management of mosaics on archaeological sites and in museums within the Mediterranean region. 

The three-week workshop in Tyre will expose participants to some of the key issues related to the conservation and management of mosaic pavements including:

• management framework for mosaics conservation;
• documentation strategies for mosaics conservation;
• deterioration mechanisms for in-situ mosaics;
• preventive conservation of in-situ mosaics;
• conservation interventions for in-situ mosaics;
• maintenance and monitoring strategies for in-situ mosaics.

By the end of this workshop, participants will produce a programme of practical work that they will pursue at their own sites during an 8-month period.

The course –  a collaboration between MOSAIKON partners and the Directorate General of Antiquities of the Ministry of Culture of Lebanon  –  will improve conditions for the conservation and management of mosaics through education and capacity-building, the enhancement of a professional network, and the dissemination of information on mosaics.  The Directorate General of Antiquities has made available two areas of the archaeological zone at Tyre— the Al-Bass necropolis site and the City site— for practical exercises and discussions during the workshop.  

'Conservation and Management of Mosaics on Archaeological Sites' is the first of a series of educational activities that will be developed as part of MOSAIKON.   During the three-week workshop, 20 participants from Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Syria and Tunisia will join an international group of instructors to study the history and significance of mosaics on archaeological sites as well as strategies for their management and conservation. 

At an opening session, under the patronage of His Excellency Mr Salim Wardy, Minister of Culture, Mr Frederic Husseini, Adviser to the Minister together with Mr Abdel-Muhsen Al-Husseini, Mayor of Tyre welcomed the course participants. Dr Aicha Ben Abed represented the MOSAIKON partners as a regional coordinator and highlighted the main components of the initiative and future plans. Dr Zaki Aslan, ATHAR Programme Manager, acknowledged the various financial contributions of partner organizations and stressed the significance of the site of Tyre as case study appropriate to achieve the course main objectives.

MOSAIKON is a partnership of four institutions: the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI), the Getty Foundation, ICCROM (through its ATHAR programme for the Arab region), and the International Committee for the Conservation of Mosaics (ICCM).  The course is also substantially supported by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DGCS) and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre.

Member States represented: Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria and Tunisia

updated on: 4 June, 2010