"Roman, Byzantine, and Mamluk traits outline Dobaih Fort, a study made by a French team revealed," said Shaqra's mayor Rida Aashour.

In addition to its ongoing support to the local population, such as dental and medical care, English language and computer literacy classes, UNIFIL's Nepalese battalion responded to a request by Shaqra's municipality to launch a maintenance campaign for the historic Shaqra-Dobaih Fort, which is located in Bint Jbeil district, South Lebanon.

The maintenance campaign, which kicked off in 2012, carried over with a new phase on 8 May 2013 and will continue over the upcoming months.

"The fort is not yet classified as a historical touristic site, but we are seeking this opportunity," added Mr. Aashour.

"Nevertheless, the location and the surviving parts of the fort still make it a site of attraction for local residents and for picnickers", commented the mayor.

"UNIFIL and the local municipality have done their part and the rest lies on the shoulders of the Ministry of Education and the Directorate General of Antiquities" he added.

"The campaign includes: building stone fences around the fort, clearing the walls of grass and trees that threaten the fort's infrastructure, collecting and piling of fallen stones, and providing garbage containers to keep the place clean of trash," explained the Nepalese Commanding Officer Lt Col Nawaraj Gurung.

"We avoided building concrete fences, in order to preserve the ancient feature of the fort and to keep its originality intact," indicated a Nepalese officer.

"Collecting and piling the stones will facilitate the future re-construction. So every hall will be rebuilt with its own innate stones," elaborated the officer.

The Nepalese battalion joined UNIFIL in 1978 and continues to foster its excellent relationship with the local population, not just through its efforts to help maintain peace and security, but also in lending a hand whenever they can.

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Article: Hiba Monzer
Video Editor: Suzane Badereddine
Video Camera: Mohamad Hamze
Photo: Pascual Gorriz Marcos

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