LAU Louis Cardahi Foundation

Activities and Exhibitions

New Announcement

The foundation is finally back and taking all the precautionary measures to welcome you, starting June 02.
Yet we are still providing online cultural tourism visits and exploration of Lebanon’s cultural heritage sites and cities. Yes indeed, we are still committed to sharing our fascinating history.
Find us on social media at Facebook and Instagram and catch up on videos and information from our latest activities and projects on, and explore the foundation’s online Smart Ways Lebanon and our international connections and exhibitions and extensive museum collections announce by our international partners.

Future Activities

  • July 11, 2020: Webinar “To Be or Not To Be”
    Presented by Dr. Habib Nicolas-Chamoun, on Saturday July 11 at 16:00 (Argentina time).

  • July 14, 2020: Webinar “Chypre, à la découverte de l’île d’Aprodite”
    Lecture by the Professor Liliane Buccianti-Barakat.
    LAU-Louis Cardahi Foundation will host the webinar in collaboration with the Phoenicians’ Route and the Lebanese Tour Guides Syndicate.
    Welcome note: Dr. Rachid Chamoun, President of the Phoenicians’ Route & Director of LAU-Louis Cardahi Foundation and Mrs. Elissar Baalbaki, President of the Lebanese Tour Guides Syndicate
    To participate click on this Webex link
    The webinar (60 minutes) will be broadcast live, on Tuesday July 14 at 6:00 pm (Beirut time), on:
    La Rotta dei Fenici and LAU-Louis Cardahi Foundation
    The webinar will be presented in French

  • The Future of Historic Places in Conflict - Tangible and Intangibles (date to be announced).
    Dear all,
    We hope you are doing well and staying safe.
    We would like to take this opportunity to update you about our “The Future of Historic Places in conflict: Tangibles and Intangibles” Heritage Forum. Of course, as many of you have expected, the COVID19 situation has affected our original date to meet in Lebanon and hold this forum. We are watching the situation closely and hoping that we will find the opportunity soon to make it happen. We do appreciate your patience and understanding of this challenging situation.
    In the meantime, we are looking at the interesting abstracts you have shared with us and thinking about how to make our collaboration continue during this challenging time until international travel is possible based on our countries’ COVID19 responses. 
    Therefore, and as you are part of this initiative, we will be soon sharing with you a short questionnaire (should be 1 minute) to vote on ideas we will propose on how to continue working together till travel is safe. We hope that this 1 minute voting questionnaire will be sent to you by the mid of June.  After that we can start planning based on your preferred idea.
    Many thanks for your understanding and looking forward to working with as many of you as possible.
    Stay Safe and Best regards
    The Heritage Forum Panel

Past Activities

  • July 06, 2020:
    مركز التراث اللبناني - LAU
    في نَدْوته التَوَاصلية السادسة
    الزجل اللبناني على لائحة الأونسكو للتراث العالمي
    لحضورها: الضغط على هذا الرابط
    وعند الحاجة
    Event number: 163 924 875
    Event password: clh6
  • June 30, 2020: The Lebanese Tourist Guides Syndicate invites you to a webinar about
    Anjar: A new reading of the archaeological site - An overview of the archaeological site in the central and western Bekaa
    Presented by Dr. Raphy Gergian
    on Tuesday June 30, at 06:00 pm (Beirut time) on zoom
    For confirmation kindly send a WhatsApp message to the number +961 3 652 067
  • June 26, 2020: Creating a Domus worth of the Gods – Constructing the Roman Empire
    Lecture by: Mrs. Alia Fares, Archaeologist
    LAU-Louis Cardahi Foundation will host the webinar in collaboration with the Phoenicians’ Route and the Lebanese Tour Guides Syndicate.
    Welcome note by Dr. Rachid Chamoun, President of the Phoenicians’ Route & Director of LAU-Louis Cardahi Foundation
    Link: https://lau.webex.com/meet/rchamoun 
    The webinar (60 minutes) will be broadcast live, on Tuesday June 26 at 6:00 pm, on:
    La Rotta dei Fenici and LAU-Louis Cardahi Foundation
  • June 16, 2020: Tourist Guides Syndicate invites you to a virtual conference
    Discover Menjez: its dolmens, natural and cultural heritage
    Presented by Dr. Tara Steimer & the president of the municipality Mr. George Youssef
    Tuesday June 16 at 6:00 p.m.
    To confirm your participation send a WhatsApp message to the number +961 3 652 067
  • June 09, 2020: “The Phoenicians Intercultural Dialogue: Towards a Contemporary Model of Negotiation“ by Dr. Habib Chamoun-Nicolas . A webinar promoted by the Phoenicians’ Route - Cultural Route of the Council of Europe in collaboration with the LAU-Louis Cardahi Foundation.
  • The webinar will be broadcast live on: Tuesday June 9 at:
    - 6:00 pm Beirut time
    - 5:00 pm Europe time
    - 10:00 am America time, on:
    La Rotta Dei Fenici and LAU-Louis Cardahi Foundation
  • June 01, 2020: كيف نحمي تراثنا الشفوي في زمن المنصات الإلكترونية؟وهذا هو الرابط للضغط عليه قبل 10 دقائق فقط من توقيت الندوة
  • May 18, 2020:
    في زمن الحجْر ننشرُ الثقافة ولا نحْجُر عليـها وأَنتم تلْزَمُون منازلَكم تأْتي الثقافةُ إِليكم تتابعونها من غرفتكم على شاشة الكومبيوتر أَو شاشة الهاتف المحمول
    مركز التراث اللبناني في الجامعة اللبنانية الأَميركية  يدعوكم إِلى مشاركته افتتاحَ نَدَواته الافتراضية بـهذه الجلسة الحوارية حول التراث واحة تَقارُب ثقافـي بين الشعوب أَيُّ مفهومٍ له فـي زمَن التباعُد الاجتماعي؟
    يُديرُها الشاعر هنري زغيب مدير مركز التراث اللبناني يُشارك فيـها
    الدكتور رشيد شمعون رئيس “اتحاد دُوَل المتوسط” للتراث الفينيقي
    الدكتورة ميرنا سمعان رئيسة جمعية “أَصدقاء الطبيعة” فـي لبنان
    الأُستاذ سهيل منيمنة رئيس جمعية تراثُنا بيروت
    الساعة 5:00 بعد ظهر الإِثنين 18 أَيَّار الجاري Webex انضمُّوا عن بُعدٍ إِلى هذه الجلسة عبر منصة
    بتسجيل اسمكم وعنوانكم الإِلكتروني علـى هذا الرابط 
    وقت الجلسة: 30 دقيقة للمحاضرين
     و 30 دقيقة لأَسئلتكم ومناقشاتكم
    لمشاهدة الفيديو إضغط على هذا الرابط
  • October 24-25, 2019: XII Euro Mediterranean Dialogue GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2019, “Cultural Tourism in the Mediterranean Scenario …on the Phoenicians’ Route” (video - action plan - declaration - agenda). 
  • October 14-16, 2019: “Disaster Risk Reduction to Protect Natural and Cultural Heritage” at The Center for the Preservation and Protection of Cultural Heritage (CPCH) and Exhibition of the Enhanced Protection Cultural Heritage Sites - Lebanon:
    - Program 
    - List of heritage sites requested for special protection in Lebanon
    - Blue Shield - Lebanon
    - Lebanese Committee for the Blue Shield (LCBS) Brochure (Arabic)
    - Lebanese Committee for the Blue Shield (LCBS) Brochure (English)
  • September 27, 2019: “The Phoenician Alphabet”:
  • - Exhibition by Mrs. Nayla Romanos Iliya, Phoenician Alphabet Series
    - Lecture by Dr. Marc Abou Abdallah, Invention of the Alphabet
  • August 3, 2019: The 124th Anniversary of the Beirut-Sham Train Railway, in Rayak Train Station, at 5:00 pm.
  • June 13-16, 2019: “The Interior Landscape of Byblos: Layers of Civilizations” (English - Italian). Architects meet in Selinunte. INTERIOR LANDSCAPE. Is the crisis of architecture a crisis of ideas? (Byblos posters - LAU-LCF).
  • June 4-7, 2019: Cultural Routes: Newsroom
    ‘The Hansa’ to host the 2019 Training Academy on Cultural Routes in Visby, Gotland (Sweden).
  • May ​6-10, 2019:  A call for papers is now open to the “Sense and Sustainability” International Conference on Archaeology and Tourism that will be held from the 6 till 10th of May in Zagreb, Croatia. The conference is  bringing some of the most renowned speakers in the industry, along with a rich scientific and social program. Smart Ways-Lebanon by the Phoenicians and Umayyad Routes
  • March 27, 2019: “Rotot, Mediterranean Routes Through Intercultural Dialogue”, a seminar organised by Inizjamed, member of our International Confederation, in collaboration with our Cultural Route, and addresses how different local realities can be brought together to reflect a wider, more common Mediterranean reality, or set of realities, that inter-relate with one another. The aspect of the Phoenicians being a sort of mythical, legendary archetype of common Mediterranean roots that however still inspires many cultural operators in seeking exchange through Intercultural Dialogue, as opposed to neocolonial and neoliberal economic measures, will provide us with a framework to which all of our speakers can relate to - this is so because in some way or another they either address this aspect through their work, or in a way act as contemporary Phoenicians, so to speak. 
    With Mario Gerada chairing, Prof. Rachid Chamoun, our President and Director of LAU-Louis Cardahi Foundation, Dr. Antonio Barone, our Director, Prof. Osama Hamdan, Director of Mosaic Centre Jericho مركز الفسيفساء أريحا,  and Noureddine Ezarraf, engaged artist from Casablanca. The event is supported by the Centre for the Study and Practice of Conflict Resolution, the Department of International Relations, the Department of Maltese and the Institute for Tourism, Travel and Culture at the University of Malta.
  • January ​9-11, 2019: In collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, LCF will be hosting A FESTIVAL of INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUE ON THE PHOENICIANS’ ROUTE – Kick off meeting of the international committee of the Phoenicians’ Route  in the framework of the European Year of Cultural Heritage. Beirut and Byblos, Lebanon. (Phoenician Route Banner).
  • November 17, 2018: Cultural Art Concert “From Carthage to Tyre”, in the monastery of the castle, Beit Meri. (video one - video two - poster). 
  • October 15, 2018: Discovery trip of the Roman road in the southern region of Jbeil, organized by the NGO “Via…EXCURSION “ORIENTAL VIA APPIA”
  • October 08–11, 2018: General Assembly of the Phoenicians’ Route - Zagreb (Croatia). The role of the Interpretation Center in Byblos along the Phoenician’s Route.
    Smart Ways: Best Practice in Lebanon to Riding the Phoenician Wave (view program).
    ​Dr. Rachid Chamoun
    Director of the LAU-Louis Cardahi Foundation
    ​Member of the Scientific Committee of the Phoenician’s Route
  • July 16-22, 2018: LAU-Louis Cardahi Foundation promotes The Umayyad Route Museum at the World Congress for Middle Eastern Studies, Seville, Spain. The program will be posted soon.
  • June 19-21, 2018, Study Days: Cortana - Naples - Jaen - Dialogue Euro-Mediterranean - Iberian and Etruscan in the Ancient Mediterranean Sea Following the Phoenician’s Route Between Archaeological Investigation, Cultural Itineraries and Tourist Promotions in partnership with LAU-Louis Cardahi Foundation. (view program).
  • May 20,2018: Imagine building a trireme out of used plastic bottles. Now, imagine seeing this ship sailing from Byblos, the famous Phoenician port, following the historical shoreline route all the way to Beirut.
    ​Lebanese American University (LAU) in partnership with NGO Chreek and high school students from across Lebanon. LAU Cardahi Foundation participated in the posters design and display of the Phoenician’s route history and cultural itinerary in Lebanon.
    ​Highlights of this initiative:
    ​1. Celebrating Lebanon’s heritage
    ​2. Raising awareness on the environment and the importance of recycling and upcycling
    ​3. Raising our children with a sense of belonging and enhancing community relations
    ​4. Placing Lebanon on the map by constructing the biggest Phoenician ship ever built out of bottles
  • May 15, 2018: Launching ceremony of the LAU-Louis Cardahi Foundation in Jbeil downtown.
  • March 16, 2018: The meeting of the Phoenicians’ Route International Scientific Committee and the International Workshop “2018 European Year of Cultural Heritage” In collaboration with the Rotary Club of Castelvetrano, Marinella di Selinunte (Sicily) (Newsletter).
  • October 26 to 28, 2017: V FÓRUM MELILLA 2017, CIUDADES Y TERRITORIOS CREATIVOS DE ESPAÑA,“Melilla, la Puerta del Mediterráneo Sustainable and Creative Tourism and Intercultural Dialogue in the Mediterranean.
  • October 9, 10, 11, 2017: exhibition and lecture promoting LCF at the X Euro - Mediterranean Dialogue” Celebration of the XXX Anniversary of the Council of Europe Cultural Routes Program” “From Lebanon to Spain on the Phoenicians’ Route “and General Assembly 2017, Jaén - Spain.
  • October 5th, 2017: Exhibition and lecture promoting LCF” Cultural Heritage Activities for the safeguarding of Byblos Cultural Heritage”. Conservation and sustainability of the Euro-Mediterranean Cultural Heritage. 20 YEARS of THE ROUTES OF EL LEGADO ANDALUSÍ, “Cultural Route of the Council of Europe” Madinat al-Zahra (Cordoba), “Protection and Conservation in UNESCO World Heritage Sites”.
  • May, 21 – 25, 2017: LAU - Louis Cardahi Foundation and Museum promotes Cultural Heritage and sustains an Interactive Network of Historical Cities in Lebanon and abroad, during the 8th International Conference on Science and Technology in Archaeology and Conservation (STAC 8) in Amman, Jordan.
  • April 24, 2017: LAU-Louis Cardahi Foundation and Museum was promoted at the LAU - Byblos, Exhibition UN - NYC.
  • March 23, 2017:  During the Phoenician route visit to the LAU - Louis Cardahi Foundation in collaboration with the Lebanese Tourism Guides Syndicate, collaboration initiative with the foundation was launched to contribute to the sustainability of the “Phoenician route”. Ancient Mediterranean Days. Tour in Lebanon, on the Phoenicians’ Route.
  • January 13, 2017: Phoenicia Expedition: The Atlantic Crossing
  • December 19, 2016: During the steering committee meeting and final conference of the Umayyad project, the project partners inaugurated the Umayyad digital museum at the LAU-Louis Cardahi Foundation and Museum.
  • April 24, 2016:  Dr. Rachid Chamoun, Director of LAU - Louis Cardahi Foundation was elected as an official member of the Scientific Committee of the Cultural Route of the Council of Europe “The Phoenicians’ Route”. The Scientific Committee, composed of 5 experts in the fields of Tourism, Culture and Local Development, will undertake on behalf of the Phoenicians’ Route, scientific assistance in the evaluation of applications for new adhesion to the Route, as well as performing an advisory role about its activities, if the Management considers it essential.

Past Exhibitions

  • Phoenician Alphabet Series by Mrs. Nayla Romanos Iliya (September 2019)
  • Byblos Photograhy Exhibition by Paul Zgheib and Pierre Daou (June 1997)
  • Sculpture Exhibition “Phoenician Spirit” by Nabil Basbous (July 1996)
  • Painting Exhibitions about Byblos (by Joseph Matar, Samira Nehme, Father Jean Jabbour, Chucrallah Fattouh, Antoine Matar and others) (May 1996)