Paris, July 22 (QNA) – The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has placed the ancient Phoenician city of Tyre in southern Lebanon on its List of World Heritage in Danger.
A UNESCO memorandum confirmed that the Tyre archaeological site has sustained direct damage, with its state of preservation raising growing concerns, particularly amid the risk of further deterioration. 
It said the optimal conditions needed to safeguard the site’s outstanding universal value are no longer in place, adding that Lebanon submitted the request to place the city on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Located on Lebanon’s southern coast, Tyre is one of the oldest cities in the Mediterranean world. It contains two protected sites inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, featuring remains from the Roman Empire, including a triumphal arch and a hippodrome dating back to the second century AD.
The UNESCO World Heritage Committee is holding its 48th session in Busan, the Republic of Korea, which runs through July 29, with broad participation from member states of the 1972 Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, alongside experts and representatives from international heritage organizations.
This year’s committee meetings mark the first session hosted by the Republic of Korea since it joined UNESCO’s World Heritage Convention in 1988. 
The committee is taking stock of nominations for inscription on the World Heritage List, assessing the state of conservation of sites, and discussing public policy issues related to the convention. (QNA)