Youth-led Approach to Preserving Lebanese Cultural Heritage

This 18-month youth-led project will focus on the preservation and promotion of historical sites, oral history, cultural festivals and traditional crafts and customs in six rural and urban areas.

The cultural heritage of Lebanon is valued internationally and the country is rich in a range of heritage including historical sites, oral history, cultural festivals, and traditional crafts and customs in rural and urban areas through the country.

There are many examples of heritage in the region that is little known and undocumented, including areas with ancient tombs, government palaces, Umayyad ruins and Roman forts, and intangible heritage such as local artists and writers, cultural festivals and traditional crafts. One example of this is Bikfaya, a town in the Matn District region of Mount Lebanon, which is known for its annual peach festival; a unique tradition that has never been documented.

This project will address both heritage and social needs by engaging young people to build bridges across Lebanese society and promote a sense of shared cultural heritage.

Around 30 voluntary youth leaders will be recruited from across the target area and will receive training in research, mapping, heritage identification and recording. They will also gain skills in the management and marketing of cultural heritage. The young leaders will then spend six months conducting research and assessments in their communities to identify and gather information about the heritage they would like to promote through the project. The heritage will then be promoted through photography, essays, short videos, oral history recordings, blog posts and an interactive website, and be shared through celebratory events held for the local communities.

Project Details


Location: Lebanon, Middle East, Asia Organiser(s): Search for Common Ground Project partner(s): NAHNOO, Biladi, arcenciel Funder(s): British Council Cultural Protection Fund in partnership with DCMS Funding received: £569,782 Commencement Date: 04/2017 Project Status: Active
Project owner? Update this project



Related Projects

Basra Heritage Boat Club copyright Rashad Salim

Ark for Iraq (Phase 3)

This project is an expansion of an ambitious initiative to protect and promote Iraq’s unique and endangered inland watercraft heritage, that is in rapid decline due to the ong…

Explore project
01 Port Said Location BTU

Abbas Bazaar, Recovery Lab of Port Said

This project will protect the 19th century Khedive Abbas Helmy II Bazaar in Port Said, Egypt. The Bazaar is a unique hybrid of local architectural style and European modernism…

Explore project
Dessie Museum front view

Dessie Museum Renovation

This project will support the complete renovation of the Dessie Museum in Ethiopia’s Amhara Region, which was destroyed during conflict in 2021.

Explore project