International Call for the Collection, Documentation and Conservation of Cultural, Natural and Digital Heritage
To the millions of Lebanese across the globe: Your homeland is calling.
Lebanon’s cultural and natural heritage is under immediate threat of destruction from war. But war cannot erase what the world unites to protect. War may shatter the stones, but together we will make our heritage immortal. Your memories are Lebanon’s shield.
In a historic and unprecedented joint initiative, the Heritage International Institute (HII) and the Directorate General of Antiquities (DGA) of Lebanon are launching a groundbreaking, world-first digital rescue operation to safeguard every single facet of the nation's identity.
Born from the Cooperation Agreement signed between our two institutions during the international summit in Parma, HII and DGA have united their expertise into a single, powerful alliance.
Cultural and natural heritage is an essential resource for understanding the history, identities, and relationship between communities and territories. This International Call invites contributions to create an open, permanent and participatory digital archive in support of collective memory, research, education and the transmission of knowledge to future generations.
The three pillars of our heritage
Every document you share becomes part of a monumental global database developed through the HII and DGA collaboration. We urgently need materials covering all categories of Lebanese heritage.
1. Tangible heritage
- Historical Monuments
- Traditional Buildings & Architecture
- Historical Centers and Old Towns
- Archaeological Sites
- Places of Worship
- Castles & Fortifications
- Industrial Heritage
- Works of Art
- Historical Archives & Libraries
- Geographical Maps & Cartography
- Historical Photographs
- Family Archives & Private Collections
- Objects of Historical Interest (Artifacts)
- Administrative & Community Documents
- Traditional Work Tools
2. Intangible heritage
- Oral traditions and expressions: stories, folktales, legends, local memories, proverbs, dialects, local and minority languages, oral testimonies and interviews.
- Performing arts: traditional music, folk songs, traditional dances such as Dabke, folk theatre and community performances.
- Social practices, rituals and festive events: local festivals, religious celebrations, traditional ceremonies, community events and historical commemorations.
- Knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe: agricultural knowledge, environmental knowledge, seasonal calendars and traditional management of natural resources.
- Traditional craftsmanship: craft techniques, historical trades, traditional tools, technologies and transmission of professional knowledge.
3. Natural heritage
- Sacred Cedar Forests & Ancient Trees
- Biosphere Reserves & Protected Areas
- Protected Valleys, including the Holy Qadisha Valley
- Historical & Natural Rivers
- Agricultural Stone Terraces & Historical Cultural Landscapes
- Ancient Caves & Geological Formations
- Unique Local Biodiversity & Wildlife Ecosystems
- Traditional Environmental & Climate Descriptions
Digital heritage
Archives, websites, blogs, photos, audio and video recordings, digital maps, social content with historical or community significance, and digital memory projects can be shared in native digital format or as digitized copies of analog materials.
Accepted material formats
- Documents, letters, diaries, manuscripts, registers, maps, drawings, publications and archival materials.
- Photographs, historical photographs, contemporary photographs, family collections and digitized images.
- Audio, interviews, oral testimonies, songs, traditional music, environmental recordings and local memory stories.
- Video, documentaries, historical footage, traditional events, rituals, craft techniques, testimonials, landscapes and natural environments.
Become a Guardian of Lebanese Memory
Contributions are active acts of cultural resilience. HII and DGA will honor exceptional individuals, families and organisations through the honorary distinction “Guardians of Lebanese Memory.”
Three international laureates will be recognised: The Depth of Time Laurels, The Voice of Identity Laurels and The Community Anchor Laurels.
Laureates will receive a National Heritage Diploma co-signed by DGA and HII Leadership and will be permanently included in the Wall of Honor of the Open Access Portal.
A shared Mediterranean bridge
The Archive is backed by international collaboration with Italian cultural heritage networks and academic experts, supporting comparative scientific research, advanced technical standards and global visibility.
