— Beirut (AFP)
Lebanon's gracious Sursock Museum is set to reopen on Friday, more than two years after a catastrophic explosion at Beirut port devastated the architectural gem and its modern and contemporary art collection.
One of history's biggest non-nuclear explosions, the blast on August 4, 2020 destroyed much of Beirut port and surrounding areas, killing more than 215 people and injuring over 6,500.
The explosion wreaked havoc on the Sursock Museum, located less than one kilometre (0.6 miles) from the port, shattering its delicate arched windows and damaging its walls, wooden panelling and 50 of its artworks.
"Seventy percent of the Sursock Museum was wrecked," museum director Karina El Helou told AFP.
