Restoration of Villa Al Makassed. Beirut, 2022–2024.

© Vincent Boisot © IECD

Within days of the Beirut port explosion, ALIPH launched the Beirut Action Plan to Protect Cultural Heritage to support the Lebanese Directorate General of Antiquities and local and international partners. Emergency measures helped clean and secure damaged institutions, protect collections, and stabilize historic buildings.

These photographs document the various stages of restoration carried out at Villa Al Makassed following the damage sustained in the explosion. They illustrate the work undertaken to rehabilitate the building, preserve its architectural heritage, and restore the conditions necessary to safeguard its historic library collection.