Residents of Tyre, in southern Lebanon, awoke this morning to a threat from the Israeli army spokesperson, ordering them to evacuate two-thirds of the city’s residential neighborhoods—specifically the sandy coastal area, which has seen multi-story construction as Tyre’s historic core expanded.
The threatened sandy area in Tyre lies in close proximity to the city’s archaeological zone, which is inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Only eight meters—a single street—separate the two.
As a result, the sandy district targeted by several airstrikes falls within the buffer zone surrounding the archaeological sites. Under UNESCO’s protection rules, this buffer extends 500 meters, meaning large parts of the area enjoy international protection by virtue of their location within the protected perimeter.
The sandy area targeted by several airstrikes lies within the perimeter of the two archaeological sites. Consequently, large parts of it are entitled to international protection, as the safeguarding of archaeological sites extends to their surroundings within a 500-meter radius.
It is worth noting that the two main sites adjacent to the targeted area and listed on the World Heritage List are:
The Al-Bass site, which includes the Roman triumphal arch, Roman and Byzantine cemeteries, and the hippodrome — the second largest Roman hippodrome in the world — as well as the Roman road.
The Tyre Sea Archaeological Site in the Al-Jal Al-Bahr area, which contains the world’s first basilica (a church built in the basilica style) dating back to the 4th century AD. It also includes Roman baths, a large Roman games complex, and a road leading to the sea lined with Roman columns — an iconic feature of Lebanon’s traditional archaeological scenery and part of its identity. The maritime site is also rich in its rare mosaic floors.
They are protected under two UNESCO conventions: the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, and the 1972 Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Both sites bear the Blue Shield emblem on their facilities, in accordance with the Second Protocol of the 1954 Hague Convention.
These archaeological sites are feared to suffer massive damage, as experts note they are neither as strong, as massive, nor as structurally solid as the Roman ruins of Baalbek. Unlike Baalbek, they sit on sandy, non-solid ground. Both the land and marine heritage sites — in addition to the damaged archaeological area — are under bombardment. This is extremely dangerous, as the city is classified as an archaeological site, with large parts still undiscovered and lying underground, where excavation is prohibited. These hidden remains are an extension of the Roman city and an inseparable part of its archaeological heritage.
Tyre is the largest source of artifacts for the National Museum of Lebanon, with its antiquities making up half of the museum’s collection. It is also the origin of the largest Roman artifacts displayed there — pieces that are unique worldwide.
Tyre is the largest source of artifacts for the National Museum of Lebanon, with its antiquities making up half of the museum’s collection. It is also the origin of the largest Roman artifacts displayed there — unparalleled anywhere in the world. Tyre stands among the most important Roman cities around the Mediterranean, distinguished by a wealth of archaeological heritage reflected in the scale of its ancient structures, the quality and craftsmanship of its artifacts, and its possession of the largest Roman sarcophagi. These sarcophagi, whether housed in the National Museum or still located at the archaeological site—particularly in the Roman necropolis—are all now at risk, if not from direct destruction, then from structural weakening and destabilization that could lead to their collapse.
In addition to its ancient archaeological sites, historic Tyre also contains 18th-century buildings in the area adjacent to the city’s port, including traditional houses, the Ja’fariyah School, places of worship, and residences distinguished by their beautiful architecture.
Tyre, whose unique position on the Mediterranean coast has long set it apart, has been considered one of the most important cities of the Mediterranean since the third millennium BCE. It served as a cradle for successive civilizations—from the Greek and Byzantine to the Arab and Ottoman—while also playing a pivotal role in global trade during the Phoenician era, including its famed legend of founding Carthage in Tunisia and its major role in exporting craftsmanship to the world.
The laws of war prohibit carrying out any hostile act directed against cultural property, as well as using such property to support military efforts. International law distinguishes between historical monuments, works of art, and places of worship that constitute the cultural or spiritual heritage of a specific people—which are granted a general level of protection—and those that represent the cultural or spiritual heritage of all humankind, which enjoy a special and higher degree of protection. The law strictly regulates the conditions and mechanisms for removing such protection.
