International Museum Observation (6) Lebanon Berut Museum

Original Author: KIRXIE

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What does a museum do during the war?

2020 is a disaster, a bumpy year, and the explosion in the Lebanon capital not long ago, it seems to add a darkest to this year. This explosion not only touched the nerves of the people of all countries, but also made people look at Lebanon again -in the extensive impression of contemporary contemporary, this Middle East country has always been associated with turbulence and war.

Since the 15 -year civil war in 1975, Lebanon has been suffering from internal and external suffering. The frequent small -scale party conflicts and parade demonstrations have been frequently erupted. Put on the sorrow of fate.

After the Lebanon Big Bang, © AP Photo / Hassan Ammar

However, in addition to lustrous smoke and war, Lebanon has the other side that is not known for most people. It is the middle of the sea in the west, the foothills are long, the plains are wide, the climate is mild and pleasant, and it has a rare and abundant precipitation in the Middle East. The superior geographical conditions attract mankind to settle, and the splendid commercial civilization created by the Phoenicians has grown here three thousand years ago.

Because Lebanon is located in Asia -African and European traffic and has unique shipping conditions, it has been ruled by political power of Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Rome and other regimes for thousands of years. In the year, it was occupied by the Ottoman Empire, and after the First World War, it became a French appointment place. It was not until November 22, 1943 that it was finally declared independence and established the Lebanon Republic.

The long history of twists and turns has a considerable complexity for Lebanon's population, ethnic and religious composition. On the other hand, the cultural tradition of this country has a unique charm, which becomes amazing in the world. Civilization wonders. The capital Beirut is the largest seaport in Lebanon. Its history can be traced back to the 15th century BC, ranking among the oldest cities in the world. Beirut's consumption level is at the forefront of the Middle East. It is not only the political and economic center of Lebanon, but also the port hub of the Arab world and the Western world. It attracts tourists from all over the world with the reputation of "Middle East Paris". Essence

Beirut City Landscape, 城市 Revivme.com

On the one hand, the disturbances of the complex environment, and the other is the city style of civilized coexistence. History is like a double -edged sword in Lebanon, which has a double impact on social life. As the "Beirut National Museum" of the Lebanon National Museum, it is obliged to present this to the public.

The history of this museum dates back to 1923. At that time, the Prime Minister and Minister of Education and Fine Arts Berchara El Cri led the establishment of the "Friends of the Museum" to call on the public to raise funds to establish a national museum. After raising enough money, the museum was led by architect Anthony Naras in 1930 to start construction on the land donated by a city government near the Beirut Arena, and was completed in 1937. Due to the influence of World War II, the Beirut National Museum, which was originally scheduled to open in 1938, was officially opened to the public four years later in 1942.

The National Museum, Beiret, Public Domain

The opening of the museum symbolizes the civilization and dignity of Lebanese. Most of the collections are handicrafts. The years have spanned from prehistoric to the Ottoman Empire, all of which are from Lebanon land. Each exhibits arranged in the order of the age are telling the ancient and deep years: the typical example of the prehistoric parts, most of which are daily necessities such as spearheads, vermiculite, hooks, and pottery. In the rock hole. The entire Lebanon has investigated about 500 prehistoric sites, and Berut itself also investigates about 50 sites.

Under the leadership of the curator and the custodian of the cultural relics, Mir Marus Chehaper, the number of collections has continued to increase, and the trivial national memory of Lebanon has gradually resumed to people's eyes -this small country that has been converted all year round tried to find to find The context of civilization seems to have been roughly appeared.

M National Museum of Beireut

However, in 1975, in 1975 in the Lebanon Civil War, it came to an abrupt end. This war brought endless suffering to the Lebanon people, and for the large number of precious cultural relics collected by the Beirut National Museum and its internal collection, it was not a catastrophe: when the civil war broke out, Damascus Road in the museum was unfortunately the most intense battle. Fire line. This boundary is intended to be called the "Museum's Way", which is used to distinguish between militia and army. The museums in the stands suffered continuous shooting and bombardment, and even became the barracks of combatants.

Cuthaper was anxious. When the situation of the war could not be contained, the authorities finally agreed to close the museum's decision. During the intermittent and short -term off -war times, Cherba and his wife sneaked into the museum to make every effort to make protection measures for cultural relics. They withdrew the most vulnerable small cultural relics from the showcase and hid in the storage room of the basement. The statue is protected with a sandbag. After the completion, they seal the entire basement and block any possible entrance. On the first floor, a layer of concrete was poured on the mosaic exhibits installed on the ground. In 1982, exhibits such as sarcophagus and ground mosaics were all poured into the concrete seal in the existence of the concrete seal. Museum curator Annie Mary Mirara Affissie recalled: "... he built a wall to protect the collections. If you don't know, you will not know at this wall. The collection is protected. "

No one knows how long this war will last. Such an extreme protection method reveals how much bitterness and helplessness behind them. Facts have proved that Chehaper's approach is quite wise. This 15 -year war was announced in 1991 that the final ceasefire was announced, but the museum building was already dying -the basement was immersed by the 50 cm deep rain, the roof was penetrated by the hole, and the exterior wall covered the dense pits and guns. The militia inside the occupation venue rushed into the building and turned the museum into their own indulgent park.

The exterior wall of the destruction museum, © Fouad Elkoury

At the same time, the collection of collections is also very serious: water accumulation in the storage room is serious, small cultural relics have been eclipsed to varying degrees due to unmanned care and too long storage time, especially wood products and portrait figurines. ; Large stone tools are left in the emergency box without any ventilation, showing the traces of salt corrosion. The side of the adjacent antiques is bombed by artillery shells. The maps, photos and document records and 45 boxes equipped with archeological ubiquitous ubiquitous ubiquitous ubiquitous ubiquitous ubiquitous ubiqu were.

Fortunately, most cultural relics are still relatively well preserved. After the reinforced concrete wall was cut off, people seemed to be able to hear the whisper of those cultural relics that had been sealed for 15 years.

The overall repair of the museum restarted after the war. In 1999, the first and second floors of the three -story building were reopened, but the basement was still closed. In 2010, it was finally open to the public. The first exhibition held was a large -scale tour of the funeral art. Starting from human teeth 250,000 years ago, until the 19th century Ottoman stone carvings, pottery, stone, ivory amulets, small statues, jewelery and weapons related to the dead were exhibited.

N lebanonuntravelled.com

Among them, the exquisite portraits carved on the 31 white marble sarcophagus recorded the appearance of the dead thousands of years ago. This batch of sarcophagus comes from the Phoenician period of the sixth to the fourth century BC. Each portrait has different facial features, some like Egyptians, but some look like Greece. It can be seen at the time.

Ar Anne-Marie Afeiche

In the exhibition hall, a huge painted tombstone can also attract people's attention. The tombstone found in the Turpan region in the southernmost tip of Lebanon in 1937 that the mural scenes were all based on Greek mythology and dates back to the second century AD.

M National Museum of Beireut

This mural depicting the Virgin Mary can be traced back to 240 AD and is one of the oldest virgin images drawn in the world today.

A Marwan G Nassar

After 41 years, the first -time exhibition hall of the museum opened by the public, choosing such a grand cultural proposition must have its intentions. The philosophical issues of life and death are not only closely related to the core doctrine of various religions, but also the realistic situation that the Lebanon people have never forgotten. Those blood, anger, and crying of those passing years, and the commemoration of the somber dead spirits in front of me, seem to be a cruel contrast, reflecting the deep suffering at the moment. In this unrestrained country, faith grows a barbaric growth with civilization. When will the suffering of this nation be over?

In the museum, it may be difficult for us to find the answer. However, under the soft lights, the once -opposed civilization was placed in a transparent showcase, which seemed so quiet and peaceful. The wind and dust of history came, and the sharp edges of the years were erased, showing only its most true appearance. The history of Lebanon expands slowly in front of us:

The simplicity and naive worship of the Bronze Age and the gods of the Iron Age jointly outline the growth of human beings in their childhood; the romantic and magnificent of the ancient Greek era and the heroic and heroes of the ancient Roman period were settled in the vast changes of the Mediterranean culture of the millennium; The supreme respect and the strong Islamic tradition during the Maruk period essentially symbolize the exploration and pursuit of divineness and human nature. Seemingly the same or even everything, there is some kind of connection in the end.

Ancient Greece and ancient Rome, at National Museum of Beirut (top), © noboru ogata (below)

Byzantine inlaid pattern u Public Domain

Maruk Tattoo b Public Domain Burut National Museum understands all this. It is not afraid of the contradictions in history, let alone present the trauma that it has suffered in history -the repair of the exterior wall that has been repaired so far can still see the shadow that was once scarred. Damage to severe cultural relics in civil war. The museum does not intend to restore these exhibits to before the war, because these exhibits have gone through their history. In 2010, in the Syrian civil war, Lebanon was inevitably affected. When asked why he chose to open the basement of the museum, Affie said:

"Even if deliberately destroying and conflict will still appear, we always hope to rebuild a complete collection, a complete museum, open to tourists, so that they can realize their historical and cultural heritage."

Fan decoration will not make people forget, and facing can arouse reflection. The responsibility and courage of the Beirut National Museum are moving. As a national historical museum, it is not large and not amazing, but there are many thoughts that can bring us. Looking back in Berut's dusk, those dignified and bold memories became clearer in the shadow cast in this French building, as if talking about eternal peace.

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