Byblos

• Port expansion project (issue resolved)
• Need for a Management Plan and a Master Plan (issue resolved)
• Plans for an extension of the jetty (issue resolved)
• Tourism infrastructure: “Diplomatic Club” project with above ground structures of reinforced concrete built at the south of the property
• Management: Unclear boundary definition of property and buffer
• Environmental risks -coastal erosion of the Byblos mound due to the heavy tidal impact of the sea

A joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission visited the property in October 2018 (mission report available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/295/documents/). Subsequently, the State Party submitted a brief state of conservation report on 31 January 2019. An executive summary of this report is available at the above-mentioned link.

Progress in a number of conservation issues addressed by the Committee at its previous sessions is presented in those reports, as follows:

• The archaeological impact assessment and investigations related to the Diplomatic Club project, which is located adjacent to the southern part of the World Heritage property, has shown that the land adjacent to the ancient settlement hill was formerly a navigable bay that was used for intense harbour activities. In response to the preliminary archaeological findings, the original topography of the area has been altered by adding layers of earth, with concrete support walls to sustain the newly-established terraced topography. All works and archaeological explorations have been suspended since April 2017, at the request of the World Heritage Centre. Only a small portion of the private land on which the Diplomatic Club project is located is protected by law, being a cemetery of high significance for the Armenian community, directly bordering the archaeological excavation site ;
• A new centre for the conservation of mosaics is being established, with the aid of the Getty Conservation Institute, and future collaboration with ICCROM;
• Conservation and consolidation works have been carried out, focusing on priority archaeological structures;
• Recent restoration works in the Old Town aim to return the original appearance of some traditional 19^th-century houses and to integrate heritage-affiliated functions for these buildings. Among those functions, is a UNESCO Category II International Centre for Human Sciences, in addition to a museum, which is being established in collaboration with the Louvre Museum;
• The preparation of a Minor Boundary Modification proposal is underway.

The 2018 joint Reactive Monitoring mission addressed the conservation and management of the property, potential synergies with other UNESCO Conventions, the need for a sustainable tourism plan, the previously requested boundary modification, and concerns about the Diplomatic Club project.

The Diplomatic Club was originally proposed as an eco-tourism project on private land, with part of the site to be used as an orphanage by the Armenian Catholicosate, in line with the adopted urban plan for Byblos. The initial project plan presented park-style landscaping with some leisure installations, but without any permanent constructions. The World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS supported this proposal as it would have provided desirable environmental and archaeological outcomes, thereby conserving attributes that reflect the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property, while contributing to separating the property from nearby beachfront tourism activities. Detailed design and specifications were to be submitted for review by the Advisory Bodies prior to the commencement of works. However, investigations took place to determine the archaeological potential of the site, and to ensure conservation of any remains within the development context. Preliminary results suggest port usage in ancient times, and, non-invasive geophysical explorations indicate the presence of additional archaeological remains at deeper levels.

The 2018 mission ascertained that there have been substantial incremental changes to the initial project design. Sand and earth have been accumulated as a protective layer above archaeological remains, altering the original land surface. The newly-terraced land is proposed to accommodate twelve bungalows with attached private bathrooms and small pools, in addition to two large pools. The design is too large, irreversible, and the planned installations would create a major tourist facility, consuming natural resources and therefore not in line with the initial eco-tourism concept, nor providing a buffer from nearby tourist activity.

The Committee has previously requested the State Party to revise the delineation of the property, including a buffer zone. A boundary clarification relating to the extent of the property at the time of inscription has been submitted by the State Party and is currently under evaluation. The archaeological research contributes to the clarification of the extent and nature of remains, potentially relating to a Phoenician port facility, and, if so, an archaeological site of major significance. Further excavations are justified to investigate whether material remains, especially in the deeper archaeological layers, relate to the ancient port of Byblos.

It is recommended that the Committee request the State Party to continue the archaeological explorations to understand the extent of archaeological features, to clarify their relationship with the ancient city and port, and to propose measures for their protection. The State Party should also be requested to continue its work in the preparation of a boundary modification based on the outcome of the archaeological research, in consultation with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies.

It is also recommended that the Committee expresses its concerns about the Diplomatic Club project, which, in its current form could have an adverse impact on the OUV of the property and needs to be property assessed by a Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) of the project prepared in accordance with the 2011 ICOMOS Guidance. Therefore no construction works should continue until the nature and extent of archaeological features is clear and full documentation of the project has been submitted to the World Heritage Centre along with a HIA, for review by the Advisory Bodies in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines. It may be possible to carry out the renovation works on the Danish Hall as previously proposed by the developer in parallel with the archaeological research. In that case, full details of the complete renovation project would need to be submitted to the World Heritage Centre for evaluation by the Advisory Bodies prior to the initiation of any work. Any excavation work that would be undertaken under the existing building should be supervised by an archaeologist, in accordance with the established regulations and procedures of the Directorate General of Antiquities (DGA) in such cases.