LEBANON (Enmaeya News) - November 17, 2025

Authorities have halted construction work above the UNESCO-recognized Nahr al-Kalb tunnel after heritage and environmental activists sounded the alarm.

According to L'Orient Today, the suspension follows public pressure from the NGO Terre Liban, led by Paul Abi Rached, and Lebanese MP Najat Aoun Saliba.

According to them, concrete foundations were laid mere meters from engraved archaeological panels, part of the Nahr al-Kalb commemorative stelae, which are inscribed in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register.

MP Saliba echoed the concern in a video posted on X, calling for an immediate stop to the works. She stressed the national importance of preserving Nahr al-Kalb’s stelae, 22 carved tablets that mark the passage of empires over the centuries. L'Orient Today

However, the municipality of Dbayeh defended the project, explaining that it involves raising a large Lebanese flag at the site. Nabih Tohme, head of the municipality, said the Directorate of Antiquities was consulted and approved the work, concluding there was no danger to the heritage structures. 

Tohme added that construction was halted temporarily after social-media outcry, but hopes remain to resume once further inspection by antiquities officials is completed.

Meanwhile, Abi Rached reiterated his call for a full heritage assessment before any structural interventions. He argues that current laws require both environmental and archaeological impact studies, neither of which was conducted before the construction.

As of now, neither the Ministry of Culture nor the Ministry of Public Works has publicly responded to requests for comment on the controversy.