“The project is initiated by Œcumene Spaces for Dignity (Œcumene Studio) in partnership with PlacemakinMena and with the support of the French Cultural Center and the French Institute in Lebanon.”

The city of Tyre (Sour) dates back to the Phoenician era and is one of the most important metropolises. It benefited from its enviable position, which attracted successive waves of colonizers. El Bass and EL Madina are two of Tyre's most notable archaeological sites. 

El Madina served as the city's political, religious, and recreational hub during the Roman era. On the other side of the now-submerged harbor stood a bustling business district. It's no secret that Tyre's El Madina Archaeological Site, with its old Roman and Byzantine mosaic floors and symmetrical columned remains, is a major tourist attraction.

The neighborhoods around Beit El Madina are about a 5–10-minute walk from the archaeological site (Mamluk House). On a physical level, the neighborhood is distinguished by its small-town feel and narrow streets, not to mention the abundance of independent businesses and quaint cafes. However, it is impossible to overstate the importance of the city's citizens, who play a vital part in bringing the city and its neighborhoods to life via their customs, cultural activities, tales, and most importantly, their hospitality.

Our objective is to reconcile the contemporary urban and the ancient archaeological, often perceived as opposite entities, through a circuit and a narrative.

The project aims to weave links and create collective memory around the archaeological site of El Madina and the surrounding urban neighborhoods by “sewing” them together through artistic interventions by, for and with the local community.

The cultural route or track that will be co-designed and co-built with the community will be based on three primary pillars: Ain El Madina, Al Hakawaty, and Sandouk Al Forja.

The itinerary is a participatory narrative that is communal, cultural, and historical in nature.

The project sealed the partnership between residents of Tyre, the Tyre Municipality, and the Directorate of Antiquities, as well as a number of other organizations, including Sour 1 Public School, the Rotary Club Tyre Europa and the Rotaract of Tyre, Al Tarbiya Al Wataniya Scout, Kamel and Aliya Saidi Cultural Society (K&ASCS), and Cloud 59, that will lead to future grassroots heritage initiatives.

From June 20 to June 26th, the Woujoud Team hosted a 7-day participatory workshop during which local actors from Sour, discussed and worked with the selected Lebanese artists to develop creative ideas for the artwork they would be making. Each work of art is connected to one of the three woujoud pillars.

We were able to create more than ten pieces of art in total with the help of the local community and our partners.

The crescendo phase started following the workshop in which the artworks were being finalized, so that they could be disseminated all along the itinerary and ready to welcome visitors.

It is our sincere wish that this event would be recognized as a Biennale in order to bring attention to other Tyre-area communal/archaeological locations as well.)

“Between reality and beautiful things, there is a path called Woujoud”.