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UNESCO Adds West Bank Site and Lebanese Castles to World Heritage List Despite Israeli Objections

A Palestinian visitor takes a photo at the Roman historical site in the West Bank town of Sebastia, Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025. (AP)
A Palestinian visitor takes a photo at the Roman historical site in the West Bank town of Sebastia, Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025. (AP)
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UNESCO Adds West Bank Site and Lebanese Castles to World Heritage List Despite Israeli Objections

A Palestinian visitor takes a photo at the Roman historical site in the West Bank town of Sebastia, Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025. (AP)
A Palestinian visitor takes a photo at the Roman historical site in the West Bank town of Sebastia, Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025. (AP)

A United Nations committee voted Friday to inscribe a major archaeological site in the West Bank and a set of castles in southern Lebanon as World Heritage sites, despite objections from Israel, which had urged the committee to reject the bids.

The decision at a UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization meeting in South Korea came days after Israel’s Foreign Ministry urged the committee to reject efforts to designate the small West Bank town of Sebastia and the Lebanese castles, calling the nominations a “weaponization of cultural heritage.”

At their meeting in Busan, members of the UNESCO committee decided to place Sebastia and five castles in Lebanon’s Mount Amel area on both the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger after reviewing the nominations on an emergency basis.

Sebastia, a hilltop town about 10 kilometers (6 miles) northwest of Nablus in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, is identified by scholars as ancient Samara, capital of the biblical Kingdom of Israel. The area’s archaeological remains span the Iron Age, Roman, Byzantine and Islamic periods. Christian and Islamic tradition holds that John the Baptist was buried there, according to a UNESCO website.

Sebastia’s nomination, first submitted by the Palestinian delegation to UNESCO in 2012, argued that World Heritage status was needed to help preserve the site, saying it remains largely undeveloped under Israeli control and requires additional conservation despite attracting tourists.

The designation comes as Israel, which does not recognize a Palestinian state, moves to expropriate large swaths of land around the site, even as it faces pressure to crack down on violence by Israeli settlers in the Palestinian territory.

The five castles in the Mount Amel region are recognized for their layered architectural heritage, combining Crusader, Ayyubid, Mamluk and local influences, reflecting the evolution of fortified architecture over nearly nine centuries, according to a UNESCO description.

In Tuesday’s statement, Israel’s Foreign Ministry accused the Palestinian delegation of waging a “hostile, one-sided campaign” at UNESCO by falsely portraying Sebastia as an area facing an emergency, calling the effort a political attempt to “erase the site’s profound, well-documented Jewish and Christian history.”

Israel withdrew from UNESCO in 2019, accusing the organization of being biased against it and of downplaying its historical ties to the Holy Land.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry also took objection to efforts to list Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon as a World Heritage site. The castle was part of the nomination covering five castles in the Mount Amel area.

The ministry said Iran-backed Hezbollah has turned Beaufort Castle into a military stronghold by building tunnels beneath the site and launching rockets from the area, and accused UNESCO of ignoring those developments.

UNESCO and the Lebanese embassy in South Korea declined to comment on the Israeli claims about Hezbollah.

The UNESCO committee on Wednesday placed another Lebanese site, Tyre, an ancient Phoenician city in the southern part of the country, on the list of world heritage sites in danger.

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Culture

Tyre’s Ruins Survived the Strikes. Now Divers are Finding their Way Back Underwater

A diver passes above Roman-era columns at an archaeological site near the coast in the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
A diver passes above Roman-era columns at an archaeological site near the coast in the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
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Tyre’s Ruins Survived the Strikes. Now Divers are Finding their Way Back Underwater

A diver passes above Roman-era columns at an archaeological site near the coast in the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
A diver passes above Roman-era columns at an archaeological site near the coast in the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Beneath the Mediterranean waters off the southern Lebanese city of Tyre, divers swim past stone walls, ancient structures and a submerged road — remnants of parts of a city that once stood above the water.

With a shaky ceasefire in place after the latest Israel-Hezbollah war, visitors are returning to Tyre, a city known for its Roman ruins and its much older Phoenician history. Diving operators say interest in the underwater archaeological sites is increasing, though the number of visitors remains below prewar levels, The Associated Press said.

“The diving season is not like it used to be before, but the number of people coming to dive to see the ruins is increasing day by day,” said Yousef al-Jundi, manager of the Lebanon Diving Center.

The remains underwater are part of Tyre’s wider archaeological landscape. UNESCO says substantial archaeological remains of the ancient city are submerged, while underwater archaeological research has documented walls, harbor structures and other remains along the former island and coastline.

“This is the identity of this city, which tells us how old this city is and what its history is,” al-Jundi said. He said the underwater sites attract divers from around the world who want to see what is commonly described as Tyre’s “sunken city.”

Tyre was one of the major Phoenician maritime cities of antiquity, with trading networks that extended across the Mediterranean. The city was also famous for its purple dye and later became an important Greek and Roman center. Its archaeological remains were added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1984.

The war raised concerns over the preservation of those remains, both on land and underwater.

“We were worried about the archaeological sites on land, which were affected by the war and the strikes, but at the same time we were also worried about the archaeological sites underwater, but thank God they were not affected,” al-Jundi said.

Before the ceasefire in late June, Tyre came under intense Israeli airstrikes, with neighborhoods in the coastal city heavily damaged during the fighting. UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee placed Tyre on its List of World Heritage in Danger in July 2026, citing the threat and damage caused by the ongoing hostilities.

Ali Badawi of Lebanon’s Directorate General of Antiquities said protecting the underwater sites remains a challenge.

“They’re not very well protected," Badawi said, adding that “encroachments” sometimes happen. “But we are trying very hard through surveys and research that we’re conducting, and we’re trying to develop laws to ensure their safety in the future.”

Badawi said the authorities also want to expand research and investment in underwater tourism, including the creation of underwater archaeological parks that would allow more visitors to see the sites.

The effort comes as Tyre seeks to rebuild its tourism sector after the war, while preserving archaeological remains that reflect thousands of years of the city’s history.

Culture

Historic Linah Marks Saudi National Day with Heritage Events, International Performances

Linah is one of the most prominent historical sites in northern Saudi Arabia - SPA
Linah is one of the most prominent historical sites in northern Saudi Arabia - SPA
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Historic Linah Marks Saudi National Day with Heritage Events, International Performances

Linah is one of the most prominent historical sites in northern Saudi Arabia - SPA
Linah is one of the most prominent historical sites in northern Saudi Arabia - SPA

Historic Linah, located south of Rafha in Northern Borders Region, will celebrate Saudi National Day with a series of national and heritage events at the Historic Linah Market.

The program features performances by local and international artistic groups, along with a variety of artistic segments, solo musical performances, and equestrian and camel-riding displays, SPA reported.

The festivities will also include puppet shows, children’s competitions, and a musical evening showcasing traditional songs.

The Historic Linah Municipality has completed preparations across sites, parks, and roads, decorating streets with national flags and festive lighting to welcome visitors and create a celebratory atmosphere that reflects national pride.

Linah is one of the most prominent historical sites in northern Saudi Arabia.

Once a key stop along ancient caravan routes, the town’s historic palaces and market continue to stand as enduring witnesses to the region’s collective memory.

Culture

Germans Arrested for Louvre Stunt in Mona Lisa Hall

A person photographs Leonardo da Vinci's painting Mona Lisa at the Louvre museum, Aug. 31, 2025, in Paris. (AP)
A person photographs Leonardo da Vinci's painting Mona Lisa at the Louvre museum, Aug. 31, 2025, in Paris. (AP)
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Germans Arrested for Louvre Stunt in Mona Lisa Hall

A person photographs Leonardo da Vinci's painting Mona Lisa at the Louvre museum, Aug. 31, 2025, in Paris. (AP)
A person photographs Leonardo da Vinci's painting Mona Lisa at the Louvre museum, Aug. 31, 2025, in Paris. (AP)

Two Germans were arrested Saturday after they stuck two paintings on a wall of the hall that hosts the Mona Lisa in Paris's Louvre museum, police sources said.

The two men used sticky tape to stick the two paintings -- measuring 30 by 40 cm -- in the hall where visitors flock to see Leonardo Da Vinci's masterpiece.

One showed one of the two men wearing armor, while the other was a portrait of the two men accompanied by a woman.

Security officers at the museum detained the two men and called the police, who arrested them for minor damage to the wall. Interviewed by police, they said they had done it for fun.

The two men will be summoned to appear in court once the museum files a formal complaint for the damage, said the police sources.

The Mona Lisa itself, now behind a thick layer of protective glass, suffered no damage in the incident.

Museum officials are more than usually alert these days after a spate of heists at French museums and galleries, which have highlighted inadequate security in some cases and led to questions about whether criminal gangs see them as soft targets.

The Louvre itself was targeted last October when eight items of jewelry worth millions of dollars were stolen during a daylight heist.

Even though four suspects have been arrested, the stolen items have still not been found despite extensive searches by French investigators.

The burglary stunned the world, embarrassed France and revealed a series of security lapses, including the museum's old-fashioned CCTV system.

Many of the museum's security flaws had already been highlighted in a 2019 audit ordered by the museum, the findings of which were never acted on.

The Louvre welcomed around nine million visitors last year, far above its intended capacity, which has led to overcrowding problems.

In May, French President Emmanuel Macron announced a major overhaul of the museum, which will include a new space for the Mona Lisa and a new museum entrance.