NNA - Minister of Culture, Dr. Ghassan Salamé, decided that this year's "Night of Museums" would be a special tribute to the creator Ziad Rahbani. The facade of the National Museum was adorned with artistic lighting featuring Ziad Rahbani's name and image, as well as a video of him singing his famous song "Aisha Wahda Blak." A film presenting the highlights of the archaeological and historical sites was screened at the National Museum headquarters, in the presence of the Director General of Antiquities, Engineer Sarkis Khoury.
Museums also opened their doors to visitors in Beirut, Sidon, Byblos, and Tripoli.
The Minister of Culture said: "I can't believe it." I walk from museum to museum and see thousands of Lebanese, perhaps tens of thousands, moving from one museum to another, especially in front of this great building, the National Museum, where they are now crowded, waiting their turn to visit the antiquities and heritage that are part of our identity."
He added: "Museum Night is an idea we launched more than 20 years ago, but it was suspended for six years due to the war, COVID-19, and financial difficulties. Today, however, all Lebanese museums are open free of charge to the Lebanese, and transportation is also free thanks to public buses. I see in this large gathering the sincere and generous enthusiasm of the Lebanese people for their heritage, their antiquities, and their museums, and this will warm the hearts of many." »
He continued: "I thank all those who prepared this great evening, the Directorate General of Antiquities, which worked diligently to make this day a success, and my colleague Nadim Choueiri, who worked for six months to ensure the success of this event. I also thank the journalists who covered the event. First of all, I thank the thousands of Lebanese who responded to our invitation and came tonight to visit these emblematic sites of their history, civilization, and culture. I greet you all and hope that the night will be long enough for them all to visit museum after museum, in our beloved capital and in other cities where similar events are taking place across Lebanon, from Tripoli to Saida and elsewhere."
Regarding the tribute to the late Ziad Rahbani, Salamé said: "Is there a tribute to Ziad Rahbani? You won't be surprised if we begin our evening with a tribute to our beloved Ziad Rahbani." The lights from the museum's staircase illuminated Lebanon's archaeological sites in a unique artistic light show.
Asked about the continuation of summer in Lebanon after the threat of war, he said: "Lebanon will continue to live, prosper, struggle, work, visit, and open its museums as if no enemy were lurking. We know this enemy is there, but the best way to respond is to preserve our heritage, our culture, and our museums."
The number of museum visitors participating in this event was estimated at over 20,000.
