In implementation of the Council of Ministers’ decision, the Minister of Public Health, Rakan Nasser al-Din, and Labor, Muhammad Haidar, accompanied by MP Ali al-Miqdad and activists from the city of Baalbek, conducted a field tour inside the ancient citadel of Baalbek, with the aim of refuting what they described as “lies” spread by hostile media about the site.
During the tour, Minister of Labor Mohamed Haidar stressed that the attendance at the citadel aims to “confirm the truth that all Lebanese and visitors know,” pointing out that the defense of the historical edifice came in response to attempts to distort its heritage image. He explained that the citadel is “civilian with its stones and history, and there are no warehouses or tunnels in it, as the hostile media is trying to suggest,” stressing that the people of Baalbek, the resistance, and the people of the region are aware of the geography of the citadel and its global value, and will not allow it to be subjected to distortion or suspicion.
Haidar added that attempts to harm the image of Baalbek through “lies and distortions” will fail in the face of the bright history of this Roman edifice, which “was built by our ancestors and preserved with the care of its children,” stressing that the doors of the castle remain open to the media and tourists.
For his part, Minister of Public Health Rakan Nasser Al-Din indicated that the visit comes within the framework of following up on government decisions aimed at reviewing the reality of institutions and facilities in the Bekaa region. He stressed that “life in Baalbek continues with activity and celebrations of steadfastness, and the citadel remains a living civil and cultural outlet that reflects the will to live among the people of the Bekaa.”
At the conclusion of the tour, the two ministers stressed that this field step came to put an end to recent media reports and speculation about the use of archaeological sites, stressing that Baalbek Citadel will remain an ancient Lebanese symbol, open to everyone, and capable of confronting rumors with field and live facts.
