On April 16, 2026, the Department of Archaeology and Museology (DAM) at the University of Balamand (UOB) organized a lecture in celebration of World Heritage Day, focusing on the Rachid Karami International Fair in Tripoli.

The session featured Mr. Fadlallah Dagher, Dean of the Académie Libanaise des Beaux-Arts - ALBA, who presented the utopian vision behind the fair, highlighting its architectural significance, its various structures, and the reasons for its inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Dr. Hani Shaarani, Director of the Rachid Karami International Fair, also contributed to the discussion.

Located in northern Lebanon, the Rachid Karami International Fair was designed in 1962 by Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer on a 70-hectare site between Tripoli’s historic center and Al Mina port. Built as a modern exhibition complex reflecting Lebanon’s 1960s ambitions, construction stopped during the Civil War in the 1970s, leaving it incomplete. The site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2023.

The lecture highlighted key structures, including the Great Canopy, the Dome experimental theater, and the Lebanese Pavilion. It also presented other features such as the space museum and heliport structure, the open-air theater, the children’s pyramid, and a panoramic restaurant atop a water tower.

The session shed light on the cultural and architectural importance of the fair, emphasizing its value as a modern heritage site and its significance in Lebanon’s history.​​