Preserving the Stories Written on the Walls: Women Conservators Safeguard the Mar Mikhael Train Station's Industrial Heritage

Every stain, crack, and layer of paint inside the historic Mar Mikhael Train Station workshop tells part of Lebanon's railway history. Rather than erasing these traces of time, a dedicated conservation team is working to preserve them, ensuring that the station's industrial identity remains visible for future generations.  

This conservation work is part of the Rehabilitation of the Mar Mikhael Train Station "Industrial Heritage Park" project, initiated by the Railway and Public Transport Authority and the Directorate General of Antiquities, funded by the Government of Italy through the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), and implemented by UNESCO. The project seeks to transform the historic station into a vibrant cultural and public space while safeguarding the authenticity that makes it unique. 

Unlike conventional restoration, the conservation of mural surfaces focuses on protecting the site's historical layers rather than returning them to a pristine condition. Bullet impacts, grease stains from decades of locomotive maintenance, weathering, and the marks left by years of railway operations are all being carefully conserved as evidence of the station's evolving story.