Beirut's cultural scene revives again as Sursock Museum will soon come back to life

After the August 4, 2020, explosion destroyed Beirut, the city's cultural scene was hardly damaged, as the blast swept away all of Lebanon's capital city's heritage.  

One of Beirut's most iconic museums, the Sursock Museum, which was renovated between 2007 and 2015, was also affected by the blast.  

Built in 1912, the Sursock Museum hosts exciting architecture, combining Venetian and Ottoman aspects. The Directorate General of Antiquities also classified the museum as a class A historical building. 

First opened in 1961, the museum's primary mission is to collect, preserve, and exhibit local, Middle Eastern, and worldwide artists to the public.    

The devastating blast severely hit the museum, which never suspended its activities during the war. According to UNESCO, the institution had to close its doors due to the magnitude of the damage.   

Elsa Hokayem, Sursock Museum Associate Director, said that "the destruction was unfathomable. If felt like the apocalypse."  

Despite the destruction, the iconic Sursock Museum is preparing to reopen in May, after a massive rehabilitation project financed by the Italian government, through the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS).  

According to UNESCO, the over €1 million project constitutes one of the most significant investments by one donor in the Beirut cultural heritage, as part of the organization's flagship initiative, LiBeirut.  

"The Sursock Museum, the first rehabilitation project launched jointly by Italy and UNESCO in the field of cultural heritage after the explosion, represents a key demonstration of our commitment to the recovery of Beirut," said Italian ambassador to Lebanon Nicoletta Bombardiere, according to an article published by UNESCO.  

With the museum's reopening, the permanent collection and the prominent Fouad Debbas collections will be displayed again. The two renovated twin galleries will also host works of art by three Lebanese artists, including Ahmad Ghossein, Marwa Arsanios, and Sabine Saba, said UNESCO.  

The curator, Marie-Nour Hechaime, expressed that cultural life has greatly suffered due to the blast and artists' exodus, "we need good working conditions and engaging institutions to ignite a recovery."