The director of Inp accompanied the President of the Republic to Lebanon at the beginning of September. This participation in the official delegation, marks the commitment of our institution in the cooperation with heritage professionals from the Middle East and especially our Lebanese partners.

Following the explosion that occurred on August 4th in the port of Beirut, the National Heritage Institute was urgently requested to send its graduate restorers to two sites: the AUB American University Museum and the Sursock Museum. A mission was scheduled for September for action to be taken in collaboration with the AUB museum team. This mission was headed by Claire Cuyaubère, a graduate of the Inp and specialised in « earthenware ». These interventions are financed by the International Alliance for Heritage in Conflict Zones (ALIPH).

This 4-day rescue mission made it possible to pick up and secure all 74 glass objects from a display case that had been knocked over by the blast of the explosion on August 4. This work, carried out in collaboration with the AUB museum team, consisted of methodically removing the shards so that the fragments could be traced according to their location on the ground under the overturned and broken display case.  Some particularly fragile fragments were consolidated. An important work of identification and reconstruction "puzzle" has begun and will be continued by the museum team, with a view to restoring the objects.

In addition, Inp is in contact with the French Institute of the Near East (Ifpo) and other representatives from  the Ministry of Culture such as the Louvre Museum and the CAPA to participate in the reconstruction and restoration of old districts, again with the support of ALIPH.

Within the framework of the Solidarity Fund for Innovative Projects, two training sessions are planned for the staff of the General Direction of Antiquities (the first will take place in October 2020, the second in December 2020).