- Title: Beirut's National Museum reopens basement
- Date: 25th October 2016
- Summary: BEIRUT, LEBANON (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF NATIONAL MUSEUM OF BEIRUT FROM OUTSIDE VARIOUS OF SARCOPHAGUS DISPLAYED IN THE LOWER LEVEL OF THE MUSEUM VARIOUS OF VISITORS CONTEMPLATING ARTEFACTS IN THE GROUND FLOOR OF THE MUSEUM MORE OF THE ARTEFACTS SHOWCASED IN THE LOWER LEVEL (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM, ANNE MARIE OFEICH, SAYING: "Mortuary art consists of sarcophagi or stone tombs, that contain writings, they may be in Arabic, Latin, Greek or in Phoenician, and all of these writings symbolizes the people that lived before us on this land, so the mortuary art also consists on the findings and all the objects that were discovered within the tombs like potteries, glass and jewellery that were inside the tombs." VARIOUS OF SMALL OBJECTS FOUND INSIDE TOMBS VARIOUS OF TOMBS AND OTHER ARTEFACTS SHOWCASED AT THE MUSEUM (SOUNDBITE) (French) SWISS VISITOR, VERONIQUE RAPIN, SAYING: "I find it very impressive, there is an extraordinary ambience, we feel how it must have felt in the necropolis in that era, and I'm really impressed by the confined and serious atmosphere. I find that the museum has done an excellent job." VARIOUS OF RUINS SHOWCASED IN LOWER LEVEL OF THE MUSEUM (SOUNDBITE) (English) MUSEUM VISITOR, JOHN PURCELL, SAYING: "This tomb in particular chronicles lots and lots of different parts of the Heliod and of Greek and Roman history, it is a gem that is not found in many other parts of the world." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE IN THE MUSEUM CONTEMPLATING THE FINDINGS (SOUNDBITE) (English) MUSEUM VISITOR, MARIA, SAYING: "For me it is very special to see this, because it is just something that until now I might have read from the books or learnt from history lessons, but here I can actually see what that far away culture and country actually was about or also is about." VARIOUS OF KIDS TOURING THE GROUND FLOOR OF THE MUSEUM VARIOUS OF THE MAIN STAIRS OF THE MUSEUM
- Embargoed: 9th November 2016 11:16
- Keywords: Beirut National Museum Lebanon Italy artefacts
- Location: BEIRUT, LEBANON
- City: BEIRUT, LEBANON
- Country: Lebanon
- Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVA00155I3I39
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The National Museum of Beirut is home to some of Lebanon's most precious treasures.
Now, after more than four decades of closure, its basement has reopened to the public unveiling a collection of more than 500 artefacts.
The downstairs space is dedicated to a number of tombs that showcase burial rites, with some of the exhibits dating back to the 5th and 6th centuries.
"Mortuary art consists of sarcophagi or stone tombs, that contain writings, they may be in Arabic, Latin, Greek or in Phoenician, and all of these writings symbolizes the people that lived before us on this land, so the mortuary art also consists on the findings and all the objects that were discovered within the tombs like potteries, glass and jewellery that were inside the tombs,'' said the museum's director Anne Marie Ofeich.
During the 1975-1990 civil war in Lebanon, the museum's location was along the line of fire that divided the city into two.
The museum was closed during the war and only reopened in 1999. Most of its contents were kept intact thanks to the efforts of the director at the time, Maurice Chehab.
The Italian government played an important role in the museum's restoration, giving around 1.2 million euros to the project, said Ofeich, and providing experts to assist with the restoration process.
Museum visitors described the collection, which also showcases items up until the 13th century as a 'gem' and something that is distinct.
"This tomb in particular chronicles lots and lots of different parts of the Heliod and of Greek and Roman history, it is a gem that is not found in many other parts of the world,'' said one visitor, John Purcell.
"For me it is very special to see this, because it is just something that until now I might have read from the books or learnt from history lessons, but here I can actually see what that far away culture and country actually was about or also is about,'' added another visitor, Maria.
The museum itself was built in the 1930s, and consists of the basement, ground and two top floors.
Post war, the museum building was heavily damaged but the artefacts survived. In 1995 the restoration work began to repair mainly the exterior of the museum which was used as a sniper position during the war. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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