Culture Minister highlights Lebanese-Italian archaeological cooperation at Heritage Day
Culture Minister Ghassan Salameh took part in a Heritage Day celebration at the archaeological site of Qalaat al-Hosn in Maasser al-Shouf, organized by the Culture Ministry’s Directorate General of Antiquities.
The event was attended by Italian Ambassador Fabrizio Marcelli, Director General of Antiquities Sarkis Khoury, local officials, members of the Lebanese-Italian archaeological mission and residents of the area.
Salameh said the site was distinguished by three features: its unexpected discovery less than a decade ago, strong cooperation from local residents and landowners, and the success of Lebanese-Italian scientific collaboration. He said the discovery demonstrated that Lebanon still holds hundreds of archaeological sites yet to be uncovered.
Marcelli said the project went beyond archaeological excavation and formed part of a broader development program funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS). He noted that the site reflects successive layers of civilization, from the Bronze and Iron Ages and the Phoenician period to a Roman temple that remains its principal archaeological feature.
Excavations began in 2022 and have so far uncovered a Roman-era temple used from the first century BC until the second century AD.
Heritage Day also included guided archaeological tours, traditional games, music and folkloric performances.
