Paris is hosting an ambitious new exhibition that turns the spotlight on one of the Mediterranean's oldest and most culturally connected cities.
Bringing together around 400 rare artefacts — including previously unseen archaeological finds — Byblos, cité millénaire du Liban traces the evolution of the ancient Lebanese port and its far-reaching ties to Pharaonic Egypt, Anatolia, Mesopotamia, Phoenicia and the Aegean world.
Staged at the Arab World Institute until 23 August 2026, the exhibition charts nearly 11,000 years of history, offering a sweeping narrative of Byblos as both a crossroads of civilisation and a symbol of cultural resilience.
At a time when Lebanon continues to endure Israeli attacks and uncertainty under a fragile ceasefire agreement, the show carries a deeper emotional weight, highlighting how heritage can survive — and endure — through destruction.
In this context, Tania Zaven , director of the Byblos archaeological site and co-curator of the exhibition, discusses the making of this landmark project, the discoveries it brings to light, and why its message resonates so strongly with Lebanese people in today's climate. The New Arab : How did the French-Lebanese team move from deep archaeological work to planning an exhibition at the Arab World Institute in Paris, and what obstacles did you face in making this possible? Tania Zaven : There have been many discoveries in Byblos since 2013, made with Dr Martine Francis-Allouche (archaeologist at the Collège de France and co-director of the Byblos & the Sea research programme) and Nicolas Grimal (a French Egyptologist), including the identification of the commercial port, which was located in the southern part of Byblos and used by fishermen. This was thanks to Honor Frost , a pioneer in underwater archaeology, who always said it should be in the south.
This work in Byblos opened a new perspective on the site's study. Then, during archaeological investigations in 2018, we discovered the hypogeum (meaning 'underground' in Greek).
This major discovery, at the city's entrance near the southern gate and connected to the port, prompted the Directorate General of Antiquities (DGA) to assume a more direct leadership role in the project, moving beyond authorisation and collaboration.
In 2019, we decided to collaborate with the Louvre Museum. Since then, we have been working together, including on publications.
There have also been many discoveries beyond the old city, due to construction permits and infrastructure works, which must first be checked by the DGA.
For example, we have found Roman and Byzantine necropolises, as well as a Bronze Age necropolis dating to around 2000 BC. These discoveries in the modern city include remains from the 2nd to the 5th centuries.
All of this made us want to present something new about Byblos in this new exhibition. However, the display is not only about discoveries; it also includes major earlier findings, as Byblos has been excavated continuously since 1860.
Earlier excavations, especially those conducted over 50 years in the 20th century, led us to believe that the site had been fully explored. We thought we already knew everything about Byblos.
However, the discovery of the hypogeum and new necropolises shows that there is still much to uncover. Now, we are excited again, because new technologies allow us to study diet, behaviour, and rituals in much greater detail. This is reflected in the exhibition, which not only presents precious objects — some appearing almost untouched by time — but also incorporates films, 3D printing, and other technological representations that bring Byblos to life and reveal the historical insights behind the discoveries. How did you combine these different mediums in the exhibition? Yes. In the first room, a video is projected across the entire wall, showing archaeologists excavating in close-up detail. During the COVID-19 period , I asked a filmmaker to film our work so we could later use the footage for exhibitions in Beirut and Byblos. He filmed continuously for days while we were excavating the hypogeum.
We also have a five-hour-long film, of which only 15 minutes are shown in Paris, capturing all the gestures and daily work of archaeology underground. We will show the full version in Byblos.
We also collaborated with the Louvre Museum and decided to produce a documentary. A French producer immediately agreed, because there was so much to tell about Byblos, its history, and its status as a continuously inhabited World Heritage site.
This is very important: Byblos is not a sequence of disconnected civilisations; it is continuous human history. We are part of global human history. That idea comes across strongly in the exhibition, which shows how civilisations overlap in one place, challenging the Western notion that cultures are separate and replace one another. This is also reflected in the evolution of language in Byblos as a tool for communication rather than domination. How important was it for you to highlight these ideas? The message is that people did not come from elsewhere to replace others; it is the same population adapting and evolving. During the Bronze Age , Byblos was a major commercial port exporting cedar wood to Egypt, with diplomatic and trade relations based on equality.
There was an exchange, not domination. Deities were shared or identified across cultures, such as the goddess of Byblos, who was associated with Hathor and Isis in Egypt.
During the Roman period , Byblos was also a pilgrimage site for Adonis. There is continuity in worship and commerce. Even Emperor Hadrian protected the cedar forests for shipbuilding.
For me, Byblos is like a linguistic laboratory. People wanted to be understood; that is why they developed simplified systems, from pseudo-hieroglyphs to phonetic and then alphabetic writing. The alphabet itself is linked to myths such as Europa and Cadmus. How are people responding to the discoveries and the exhibition, particularly in Lebanon, during this difficult period of conflict? Has it influenced or changed their relationship with their heritage? Excavations in Byblos date back to prehistoric and Neolithic times, showing continuous habitation for around 9,000 years.
When the first excavations began, there were still people living on the site. Over time, they were relocated so that the work could continue. We interviewed local residents, and they are deeply connected to the site; the exhibition was a climax for them.
It was first shown at the Byblos International Film Festival , and people were amazed by the richness of their own city. It helped them reconnect with archaeology.
Lebanese people are very proud of their heritage, especially in these difficult times. We decided to continue preparing the exhibition even after the war began. We postponed it, but did not cancel it. It became a message of peace and hope.
If people do not know their heritage, they cannot protect it. Even in difficult circumstances, we worked with the Arab World Institute and continued carefully, ensuring the protection of the objects.
Some artefacts could not be transported due to security risks, so only certain items were sent, while masterpieces remain in Lebanon for now.
These decisions were made with the Directorate General of Antiquities, the Ministry of Culture, and the army. We hope the remaining objects can join the exhibition before it ends in August. Does this vision also bring hopeful news? Yes. I am from Beirut myself; my origins are Armenian, but I am Lebanese. I work in Byblos and go there regularly. Right now, I am in the mountains because it is safer than Beirut. I lived through the war from 1975 to 1990 .
We learned that even though Lebanon is very small, there is always somewhere safe — a kind of refuge. But psychologically, it is difficult. We live with drones overhead, constant noise, and tension. It is very stressful.
At the Directorate General of Antiquities, we work across the country. When people have to leave their homes, we help relocate them. Some workers in the south have had to move north for safety.
We protect heritage and people. We are a community. There are still safe places, thank God. People do not want to leave Lebanon. When I was in France, all I could think about was returning home. Cover photo: Ensemble de Figurines en « faïence » : hippopotames, singes, bélier, chat, et personnages Byblos temple aux Obélisques, âge du bronze moyen Beyrouth © Philippe Maillard Ministère de la Culture / Direction Générale des Antiquités du Liban Melissa Chemam is a French Algerian freelance journalist and culture writer based between Paris, Bristol and Marseille, and travelling beyond Follow her on X: @melissachemam