The NGO Green Cedar Lebanon has launched its book Echoes of Eternity on Lebanon’s cultural and natural heritage, featuring 34 sites under UNESCO protection. Presented at the Résidence des Pins last Wednesday under the patronage of Hervé Magro, the French Ambassador to Lebanon, the book “brings together for the first time in a single publication all 34 UNESCO-protected sites in Lebanon, illustrated by twelve Lebanese artists and photographers whose sensitivity captures the soul of each location,” according to the association’s statement.
By purchasing this book, each reader directly contributes to the preservation of Lebanese heritage and supports restoration and revitalization initiatives led by the association, as the proceeds from sales will be donated to the Directorate General of Antiquities, which is part of the Ministry of Culture.
The book comprises 240 pages of bilingual (French-English) images and texts, featuring contributions from artists, historians, archaeologists, and cultural institutions. It aligns with the mission Green Cedar Lebanon has pursued since 2007: “the preservation of Lebanon’s natural and cultural heritage, born from the conviction that nature and culture are two sides of the same identity,” as the text explains.
“In November 2024, amid a time of conflict, 34 Lebanese cultural sites were placed under enhanced protection by UNESCO. This book highlights these exceptional places and pays tribute to all those who made this protection possible,” declared Pascale Saad, president of Green Cedar Lebanon, during the launch ceremony. Her remarks referenced the recent Israeli conflict that endangered many of these sites, notably the temples of Baalbek and the ruins of Tyre.
“Through these 34 sites, a single story is told—that of a country small in size but immense in the depth of its memory,” wrote Minister of Culture Ghassan Salamé in the book’s preface. He added: “To preserve these places is to protect far more than ruins or façades: it is to safeguard a continuity, a promise of culture and beauty that transcends the centuries. This heritage, fragile and magnificent, is not merely a legacy we inherit—it is also a duty we bear: to pass this living memory on, intact, to those who come after us.”
The book also revisits the history of UNESCO’s protection of major sites, recounting the critical moments in autumn 2024 when Lebanon’s key ruins were secured while Israeli airstrikes hit South Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley, and other areas. In addition, it offers valuable information about each site, enhanced by high-quality photographs and artist illustrations.
The book is currently available through Green Cedar Lebanon (03/039063) and will soon be distributed in bookstores and museum gift shops.
