The Institut Français d'Archéologie de Beyrouth (IFAB; also known in English as the French Institute of Archaeology in Beirut) was a French research institute established in

Beirut Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...

, Lebanon, in 1946, dedicated to the study of the

archaeology Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...

history History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...

and

epigraphy Epigraphy () is the study of inscriptions, or epigraphs, as writing; it is the science of identifying graphemes, clarifying their meanings, classifying their uses according to dates and cultural contexts, and drawing conclusions about the wr ...

of the

Levant The Levant ( ) is the subregion that borders the Eastern Mediterranean, Eastern Mediterranean sea to the west, and forms the core of West Asia and the political term, Middle East, ''Middle East''. In its narrowest sense, which is in use toda ...

. It played a significant role in the study and preservation of the archaeological heritage of the Levant, particularly in Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan, until it was reorganized in 1977 as the Institut Français d'Archéologie du Proche-Orient (IFAPO), later becoming part of the

Institut Français du Proche-Orient The French Institute of the Near East (, IFPO) is a French social sciences research institute with locations in Jordan (Amman), Lebanon (Beirut) and until 2011 in Syria (Damascus and Aleppo), with additional operations in Iraq and Palestine. It w ...

(IFPO) in 2003. The institute was founded by the

French Ministry of Foreign Affairs The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (, MEAE) is the ministry of the Government of France that handles France's foreign relations. Since 1855, its headquarters have been located at 37 Quai d'Orsay, close to the National Assembly. The term ...

and was initially directed by Henri Seyrig, a prominent French archaeologist and former director of antiquities in Syria and Lebanon during the French Mandate period. The IFAB was known for its extensive library, which was considered one of the best in the Middle East, and for its contributions to archaeological research, including excavations, surveys, and restorations.

History and mission

The idea of establishing a French archaeological institute in

dates back to the late 19th century, when the French orientalist and archaeologist

Charles Clermont-Ganneau Charles Simon Clermont-Ganneau (19 February 1846 – 15 February 1923) was a noted French Orientalist and archaeologist. Biography Clermont-Ganneau was born in Paris, the son of Simon Ganneau, a sculptor and mystic who died in 1851 when Clerm ...

proposed in 1882, then again in 1899, the creation of a ''station d'archéologie orientale"'' (oriental archaeology station) in Beirut, dependent on the '' École française du Caire''. However, this proposal did not materialize until after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, when the French government sought to maintain its cultural and scientific influence in the

following the end of the

French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon The Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon (; , also referred to as the Levant States; 1923−1946) was a League of Nations mandate founded in the aftermath of the First World War and the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire, concerning the territori ...

in 1946. The IFAB was officially established by the

on 5 June 1946, under the patronage of the

University of Paris The University of Paris (), known Metonymy, metonymically as the Sorbonne (), was the leading university in Paris, France, from 1150 to 1970, except for 1793–1806 during the French Revolution. Emerging around 1150 as a corporation associated wit ...

and the

Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres The () is a French learned society devoted to history, founded in February 1663 as one of the five academies of the . The academy's scope was the study of ancient inscriptions (epigraphy) and historical literature (see Belles-lettres). History ...

. The institute was initially housed in the historic Beyhum House, a building acquired by the French government in 1910. The house, constructed in 1850 by Hadj Abdallah Beyhum, had previously served as a hospice for the Little Sisters of the Poor and as a soldiers' home during World War II. The IFAB's primary mission was to conduct archaeological research in the Levant, with a focus on the classical and Byzantine periods. The institute also aimed to publish the results of excavations and studies conducted during the French Mandate period. One of its first major tasks was the publication of the archaeological findings from sites such as

Palmyra Palmyra ( ; Palmyrene dialect, Palmyrene: (), romanized: ''Tadmor''; ) is an ancient city in central Syria. It is located in the eastern part of the Levant, and archaeological finds date back to the Neolithic period, and documents first menti ...

and

Baalbek Baalbek (; ; ) is a city located east of the Litani River in Lebanon's Beqaa Valley, about northeast of Beirut. It is the capital of Baalbek-Hermel Governorate. In 1998, the city had a population of 82,608. Most of the population consists of S ...

, which had been excavated by French archaeologists during the Mandate. The IFAB organized several archaeological missions, including the ''Mission de Syrie du Nord'', which focused on the study of early Christian architecture and villages in northern Syria. This mission, led by the Russian architect Georges Tchalenko, produced significant publications on the

Dead Cities The Dead Cities () or Forgotten Cities () are a group of 700 abandoned settlements in northwest Syria between Aleppo and Idlib. Around 40 villages grouped in eight archaeological parks situated in north-western Syria provide an insight into rura ...

of northern Syria, a series of ancient settlements that flourished during the Byzantine period. Another important mission was the Mission de Tell Arqa, which began in 1972. This mission, directed by the French archaeologist

Ernest Will Ernest Louis Georges Will (25 April 1913 – 24 September 1997) was a 20th-century French archaeologist and University professor, a member of the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres. Biography After he finished his secondary studies ...

, focused on the excavation of Tell Arqa, an ancient site in

northern Lebanon North Lebanon () is the northern region of Lebanon comprising the North Governorate and Akkar Governorate. On 16 July 2003, the two entities were divided from the same province by former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. The division was known as Law ...

. The excavation revealed important insights into the Bronze Age and Iron Age periods in the region. The IFAB also played a key role in the publication of the ''Inscriptions Grecques et Latines de la Syrie'' (IGLS), a comprehensive corpus of Greek and Latin inscriptions from Syria. This project was carried out in collaboration with the Institut Fernand-Courby of the

University of Lyon The University of Lyon ( , or UdL) is a university system ( ''ComUE'') based in Lyon, France. It comprises 12 members and 9 associated institutions. The 3 main constituent universities in this center are: Claude Bernard University Lyon 1, which f ...

. The institute also played a key role in publishing archaeological findings, including the journal ''Syria'' and the Bibliothèque Archéologique et Historique (BAH), which became essential references in the field of

Near Eastern archaeology Near Eastern archaeology is a regional branch of the wider, global discipline of archaeology. It refers generally to the excavation and study of artifacts and material culture of the Near East from antiquity to the recent past. Definition The ...

. The outbreak of the

Lebanese Civil War The Lebanese Civil War ( ) was a multifaceted armed conflict that took place from 1975 to 1990. It resulted in an estimated 150,000 fatalities and led to the exodus of almost one million people from Lebanon. The religious diversity of the ...

in 1975 had a profound impact on the IFAB. The institute's headquarters in Beirut were located in a conflict zone, and the library had to be evacuated to protect its valuable collection. On 18 December 1975, the institute's library, comprising 35,000 volumes, was carefully packed and relocated by the

Lebanese Army The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF; ), also known as the Lebanese Army (), is the national military of the Republic of Lebanon. It consists of three branches, the ground forces, the air force, and the navy. The motto of the Lebanese Armed Forces is ...

to the Crusaders' Castle in Byblos for safekeeping. By 1977, during a relatively calmer period, the Institute began establishing new premises in the campus of the French Embassy in Beirut on Damascus Street in Beirut, including constructing a new storage facility for its library. The war also disrupted the institute's fieldwork and forced many of its researchers to relocate to Syria and Jordan. In response to the war, the IFAB expanded its operations beyond Lebanon, establishing branches in Damascus and Amman. This expansion led to the institute's renaming as the Institut Français d'Archéologie du Proche-Orient (IFAPO) in 1977, reflecting its broader regional focus.

Directors and key figures

The IFAB was led by several prominent archaeologists during its existence. The French archaeologist Henri Seyrig was the institute's first director, serving from 1946 to 1966. Seyrig was a leading expert on Palmyra and played a crucial role in the establishment of the IFAB. He had previously served as the secretary-general of the

École française d'Athènes The French School at Athens (, EfA; ''Gallikí Scholí Athinón'') is one of the seventeen foreign archaeological institutes operating in Athens, Greece. History Founded in 1846, the EfA is the oldest foreign institute in Athens. Its early f ...

and as the head of the Antiquities Service in Syria and Lebanon. He was succeeded by the French archaeologist

Daniel Schlumberger Daniel Théodore Schlumberger (19 December 1904 – 21 October 1972) was a French archaeologist and Professor of Near Eastern Archaeology at the University of Strasbourg and later Princeton University. Biography After having been invited by ...

, who directed the institute from 1967 until his death in 1972. Schlumberger was known for his work in Afghanistan and his studies on

Hellenistic art Hellenistic art is the art of the Hellenistic period generally taken to begin with the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and end with the Roman Greece, conquest of the Greek world by the Romans, a process well underway by 146 BC, when the G ...

in the Near East. Ernest Will, who served as director from 1973 to 1980; he was one of the first ''pensionnaires'' (resident researchers) and he conducted important research on the high-reliefs and funerary towers of Palmyra. Another key figure was

Jean Starcky Abbé Jean Starcky (3 February 1909 – 9 October 1988) was a French priest who was one of the early editors of the Dead Sea Scrolls. He studied at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome and the École Biblique et Archéologique Française in ...

, a French priest from the diocese of Paris, who was one of the early editors of the

Dead Sea Scrolls The Dead Sea Scrolls, also called the Qumran Caves Scrolls, are a set of List of Hebrew Bible manuscripts, ancient Jewish manuscripts from the Second Temple period (516 BCE – 70 CE). They were discovered over a period of ten years, between ...

. He collaborated with Seyrig on the publication of inscriptions discovered during the excavations of the Agora in Palmyra. Starcky also worked on various publications related to Palmyrene epigraphy.

Legacy

The IFAB/IFAPO made significant contributions to the study of the archaeology and history of the Levant. Its publications, excavations, and surveys have provided valuable insights into the ancient civilizations of the region. The institute's library and archives remain important resources for researchers, and its legacy continues through the work of the Institut Français du Proche-Orient (IFPO), which was formed in 2003 through the merger of the IFAPO with other French research institutions in the Middle East.

Library and publications

The IFAB's library contained around 24,000 volumes in 1970, and 35,000 volumes in 1975. It was renowned for its extensive collection of archaeological and historical works, along with a photo library containing thousands of

aerial photographs Aerial photography (or airborne imagery) is the taking of photographs from an aircraft or other airborne platforms. When taking motion pictures, it is also known as aerial videography. Platforms for aerial photography include fixed-wing airc ...

making it a vital resource for researchers in the Middle East. The library was evacuated during the Lebanese Civil War in 1975 and relocated to Byblos, where it remained until the end of the conflict. The institute published several important series, including the Bibliothèque archéologique et historique (BAH) and the journal Syria, which had been founded during the French Mandate period. These publications disseminated the results of archaeological research conducted by French scholars in the Levant.

References

Citations

Sources

* * * * * *{{Cite journal , last=Will , first=Ernest , date=1996 , title=Cinquante ans d'histoire : de l'Institut français de Beyrouth à l'Institut français d'archéologie du Proche-Orient , url=https://www.persee.fr/doc/crai_0065-0536_1996_num_140_3_15651 , journal=Comptes rendus des séances de l'Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres , volume=140 , issue=3 , pages=993–1001 , doi=10.3406/crai.1996.15651 Archaeological research institutes Archaeology of Lebanon Archaeology of Syria Archaeology of Palestine (region) Organizations established in 1946 Organizations disestablished in 1977 1946 establishments in Lebanon 1977 disestablishments in Lebanon