Technical contributions for the revival of the city of Tyre

This book will present the results of the first phase of the WP4 activities. The objective was to identify some archaeological and/or urban sites for scientific study and then use the findings to draw up a plan for valorising and re-qualifying these pilot sites. The findings were also to be used to assess the current state of conservation of the materials and the structures. Appropriate instruments were then deployed to ascertain and monitor decay phenomena; plans were then to be prepared for the re-qualification phase. The approach to conservation adopted in this project can be summed up by the effective definition provided in the Nara Document on Authenticity: “CONSERVATION: all operations designed to understand a property, know its history and meaning, ensure its material safeguard, and, if required, its restoration and enhancement”.1 The following steps were carried out: 1. The pilot sites were surveyed using topographical and laser scanning techniques. 2. On-site analyses provided data relating to the materials and their state of preservation. 3. Proposals for an operative protocol were made to the municipalities involved when restoration projects were required. Two pilot sites were identified among the participant port cities: the citadel of Tartous (Syria) and the old town of Tyre (Lebanon).