In celebration of International Museum Day, the Department of Archaeology and Museology (DAM) and the Ethnography Museum at the University of Balamand (UOB) organized a historical tour in Anfeh – Al Koura on the 16th of May 2023.
The visit aimed to shed light on some of the historical monuments discovered in Anfeh. The tour was led by Dr. Patricia Antaki, Director of the Department of Archaeology and Museology at UOB, along with Ms. Rita Kalindjian, Director of the Ethnography Museum, Mr. Abdullah Alaa El Din, Archaeologist and Ceramologist, Ms. Graziella Nakad, Archaeologist and Research Assistant at DAM, and Ms. Fadia Ibrahim, DAM’s Executive Secretary.
The tour began at the Church of Our Lady of the Wind, Saydet El Rih in Arabic, where Ms. Kalindjian shared valuable information with the visitors on the church’s history and the importance of its Byzantine and Crusader-era artifacts.
It also featured a visit to Ras Al-Qalaa in Anfeh, where Dr. Antaki, accompanied by Mr. Alaa El Din and Ms. Nakad, provided a comprehensive historical overview of the prominent landmarks discovered in Anfeh. These notable sites included two olive oil presses dating back to the Byzantine and Crusader periods, as well as the formidable Crusader castle walls constructed between the 12th and 13th centuries. Additionally, the visitors were able to observe an uncovered staircase leading to one of the three trenches, along with numerous stones that once served as projectiles for the trebuchet during the Crusader era.
The University of Balamand’s contribution to the excavation work in the town of Anfeh has led to the unearthing of distinctive and remarkable historical artifacts, whose archaeological importance is on par with the sites registered on the World Heritage List.