Roman Hippodrome under threat

In the last two years, historians and archaeologists were surprised when they have learned that the most important Roman discoveries found recently in Lebanon are to be fused with a modern building.

A Roman hippodrome was discovered in Mina al-Hosn area in Beirut's downtown and it is extended on several real estates. Fortunately, the threatened hippodrome is spread on three lands which are number 1370, 834 and 1410.

According to reports the real estate number 1370 belongs to someone close to a political party, identified as Ali Nazem Ahmad who obtained permission from caretaker Culture Minister Gaby Layyoun to build in this area, however former ministers Tarek Mitri, Tamam Salam and Salim Wardeh stopped the project along with Association for the Protection of the Lebanese Heritage through an appeal they have submitted to Supreme Shura Council.

News today say that the land number 834 affiliated with the one 1410 which belongs to RHR company owned by caretaker minister Marwan Kheireddine, his father and his brother are also threatened in the same way.

Here caretaker Culture Minister Gaby Layyoun issued a decree on August 6, 2013 to swiftly start the building process ignoring that the Directorate of Ruins is the main reference to decide in this regard.

Instead resuming excavation and reconstructing the historic Roman hippodrome in order to make it number one destination for tourists around the world, the wall of the hippodrome along with the other parts will be destroyed, but unfortunately it is a mentality that does care neither about history nor about present nor about future.