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January 2016
On the second anniversary of its founding, the Romaïan Cultural society celebrated a new tradition of paying homage to the endowed Romaïan personalities who gave human kind, their homeland and general culture valuable achievements and marked their era with their distinguished presence. Dr. Leyla Badr, archaeologist, was the first to be honored in 2016. The Administrative Board of the Society welcomed Dr. Badr on the 24th of January 2016 and handed her a commemorative shield written in Arabic and Greek.
Dr. Jacques Mokhbat, Chairman of the Honoring Commission, presented the biography of Dr. Badr, and Dr. Negib Geahchan, president of the Administrative Board, handed the honorary shield to her.
In reply to this homage, Dr. Badr thanked all the participants in the banquet as well as the Honoring Commission, and in brief words, she recounted the circumstances that helped her complete her achievements and reported some of the important events that she was exposed to during her work in some archaeological sites in Lebanon and Syria.
Most of the members of the Romaïan Cultural Society were present at the banquet that was held on the feast day of St. Gregory the Theologos, and together they honored the creative archeologist Dr. Leyla Badr. During the celebration, the president of the Administrative Board, Professor Negib Geahchan, decorated the newly affiliated members with the pin of the Society.
Who is Dr. Laila Badr?
Dr. Leyla Badr is a famous archaeologist. She participated and headed many archeological teams to excavate antiquities in Lebanon, Syria and some Arab countries such as Yemen and the Emirates. She had a great credit for excavating the antiquities, buried in downtown Beirut, excavations facilitated by the destruction that befell the city during the Lebanese war. In particular, she supervised the excavations that were conducted in the grounds of St. George’s Cathedral, and led to the discovery of the ancient churches that had successively existed in this place since the Romaïan era.
Dr. Badr founded the museum of the crypt of St. George’s Cathedral, and was appointed director of the American University of Beirut Museum. Later, she made a qualitative and innovative leap in it.
Dr. Leyla Badr was the first endowed person that the Romaïan Cultural society honored, starting this tradition in 2016.