The villa of former MP Habib Sadek in the city of Nabatieh (above), and after its complete destruction by Israel (below). (Photo sent by Mountasser Abdallah/L'Orient-Le Jour)

Behind the Israeli destruction of Nabatieh's architectural heritage, the intention to erase memory

Biladi estimates that Israel has reduced "more than 85%" of the region's heritage buildings to ashes.

08 Sep 2026, 11:55 by Suzanne BAAKLINI · L'Orient Today

Late last week, amid the mounting toll from Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon, one strike destroyed the villa of late former MP Habib Sadek in Kfour, Nabatieh, our correspondent reported. The early 20th-century building now lies in ruins, a reminder that destruction is not only killing people but is also destroying heritage and erasing collective memory.The Sadek villa is far from the only heritage site destroyed by Israeli attacks over the past two wars. Jad Tabet, an adviser to Culture Minister Ghassan Salameh, pointed out the systematic destruction of heritage in southern Lebanon. He said the ministry has signed an agreement with the heritage preservation association Biladi to assess the damage. Biladi's President Joanne Farchakh Bajjaly described the losses of Nabatieh’s heritage buildings as “monumental.”In 2025, Biladi...

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