While summer evokes images of sunny beaches, a pioneering conservation effort is underway to protect Lebanon’s coastal castles and medieval heritage threatened by climate change and urban pressure.
This initiative, led by HeritageWatch.AI (formerly Iconem Fund) and supported by the British Council’s Cultural Protection Fund, focuses on safeguarding Lebanon’s coastal heritage from erosion. The challenges in mitigating these threats is compounded by conflict and the historic, patchwork records which make assessing the growing threats to conserving Tripoli’s historic centre much more difficult.
To address the lack of consistent documentation, from 2022-2025, HeritageWatch.AI have used cutting-edge tools such as photogrammetry and 3D scanning so that safeguarding efforts are data driven. As a result, the project has resulted in high-resolution digital twins and a risk heat map of the historical centre of Tripoli – key preservation tools that have been integral in discussions with policy makers.
These technological advancements would not have been possible without community engagement from the project’s beginning, delivery, and aftermath. By raising awareness of looting and climate threats, as well as training local architects and engineers in digital recording techniques, this project has built long-term resilience and fostered greater social cohesion. Going forward, future restoration efforts are much more agile as they are driven by communities on the ground.
Bachaar Tarabay, Head of Scientific Projects, reflected on the importance of community collaboration at the online launch of the British Council’s ‘Digital Cultural Heritage.’ He said that ‘By working hand in hand with local stakeholders, we were able to identify specific conservation needs, adapt our methods accordingly, and most importantly ensure that the community was actively engaged in both data collection and long-term safeguarding of their heritage.’
