HighlightUnderwater Archaeology in Lebanon: Exploring Origins and Unveiling Discoveries

Natasha Metni Torbey 2025-08-22 14:30 - Lecture : 4 minute(s)

At the crossroads of civilizations for thousands of years, Lebanon holds a largely unexplored underwater heritage. Behind the beauty of ancient wrecks lie pressing geopolitical stakes, alarming environmental concerns and a troubling lack of legal oversight. Safeguarding these submerged riches means charting a course through maritime law, disputed ...

HighlightLebanon’s Hidden Underwater Mysteries

Natasha Metni Torbey 2025-07-29 14:20 - Lecture : 6 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam

An entire city, named Saidoun, emerged from the depths: monumental walls, sacred chambers, freshwater wells, marble slabs and massive stone blocks dating back to around 1370 BCE, nearly 4,000 years ago. To this day, this excavation remains one of the most significant breakthroughs in the underwater exploration of southern Lebanon. Yet, since then, ...

Highlight1957: A Crash, Gold and Shadows of Mystery

Natasha Metni Torbey 2025-07-29 14:25 - Lecture : 5 minute(s)

Beirut International Airport Kuwait Lebanese Army United Kingdom

This is the story of the Curtiss C-46 operated by Air Liban, which crashed off the coast of Beirut in 1957 with around 30 passengers on board. According to witness accounts and expert testimony, the aircraft was transporting a shipment of gold estimated between 400 and 450 kilograms, bound for Kuwait. While the crash itself raises questions, what ...

HighlightExploring and Excavating Underwater Heritage

Natasha Metni Torbey 2025-07-29 14:25 - Lecture : 6 minute(s)

Turkey

Before any underwater excavation begins, one fundamental question must be answered: Should the findings be brought to the surface? “In some cases – particularly when dealing with a submerged city – preserving the site’s integrity means leaving everything untouched,” explains marine biology expert Marcos Hado. “But when valuable ...

HighlightThe Silent War Over Lebanon’s Underwater Heritage

Natasha Metni Torbey 2025-07-29 14:25 - Lecture : 4 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam

Geopolitical instability in the region does not end at the water’s edge – it extends below the surface, into Lebanon’s territorial waters. Maritime border disputes, particularly with Israel around Block 9 in the south, involve more than contested gas fields; they also threaten the preservation of invaluable cultural heritage. Any discovery ...

HighlightWho Owns a Sunken Treasure?

Natasha Metni Torbey 2025-07-29 14:30 - Lecture : 5 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam United Nations

As advances in underwater exploration technologies open new horizons for archaeological research, the legal status of submerged heritage in Lebanese waters is becoming increasingly pressing. Who holds rightful ownership of an ancient shipwreck discovered off the coast of Byblos? What legal framework governs treasures found within Lebanon’s ...