Spreading heritage awareness right at your doorstep!
HEP - The Heritage Education Program, is an educational project, which aims to build
cultural heritage awareness in neglected regions in the Middle East for children and
the youth. Developed by a group of experienced archaeologists and education
officers, HEP relies on adaptible diverse hands-on interactive workshops in each 
village, increasing knowledge in one‘s own local heritage. HEP triggers children‘s
curiosity to understand in their own local heritage, building a sense of attachment
and pride, therefore helping to protect and preserve it.
HEP aims to trigger children‘s curiosity and interest in their own local ancient heritage, building a sense of belonging and attachment to protect their heritage and enjoy it for future generations to come.
Lina and Selim, the mascots of our project, travel with the children on this adventurous journey through time, as they discover local ancient archaeological treasures, phoenician language, traditional neighborhood heritage and much more!
Projects
Coming soon ......
Report destruction of cultural heritage in Lebanon
This report is an initiative to document the cultural heritage destruction in Lebanon, which is the result of the ongoing war in Lebanon. It is an initiative which was launched by the Heritage Education Program
Go report PDF Eng
Go report PDF Arab
Who we are
Co-founder - Director
Alia Fares is an archaeologist and building historian, with a track record of
experience in the cultural heritage sector for over 25 years. She lives between
Lebanon, Germany and Cyprus, developing cultural heritage projects and leading
archaeological surveys and excavations in the Middle East. She is the founder and
general director of the Heritage Education Program. She also works as a consultant
for various international organizations, including the American Society of Overseas
Research, supporting ASOR’s Cultural Heritage Initiatives in Africa. 
Furthermore,
Alia has specialized in Roman architecture, as she finalises her PhD from the
University of Cologne, Germany about a Roman temple in North Lebanon. Alia has also
founded Herigatech Ltd., a heritage management and archaeological resources company.
Moreover, she dedicates most of her free time for the Lebanon Mountain Trail
Association, leading cultural heritage initiatives and assisting in the protection
and preservation of the cultural and natural heritage along this 480km trail in
Lebanon. Alia is a staunch advocate of the utmost importance of engaging communities
in the identification, study and future preservation of local cultural heritage. She
believes that once people understand their archaeological heritage and are given the
proper tools to protect and preserve their ancient sites and monuments, they will
become the custodians of their own past and therefore their identity.
Archaeologist - Education officer - Social Media developer
Graziella is an archaeologist by education, and a self-taught cultural heritage
education practitioner. She has almost a decade of archaeological excavation and
field experience. 
With a natural talent for educating children on-site, she's been
working on exciting HEP projects since 2020 in Lebanon. For her, archaeology isn't
just about uncovering the past – it's about inspiring future history lovers, one
curious child at a time! She loves to bring the past to life for young minds.
Graziella also supports HEP in developing its social media presence. Since 2024, she
has moved to Germany to work as a field archaeologist, while providing international
consultancies for HEP projects in Germany, Petra, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
Archaeologist - Education Officer
Aimée is an archaeologist with a long history of heritage education knowledge. She
graduated in 2018 from the Lebanese University with a master’s degree in art history
and Archaeology and has more than 15 years of excavation experience in Lebanon. 
In
2014, she became a Museum Assistant at the American University of Beirut's
Archaeological Museum and has been leading since then the museum education program,
where she assists school classes and visitor groups, planning and executing
activities for children on various archaeological themes. She also assists in
exhibitions, among other things. In HEP, Aimee mostly leads the pottery restoration
and story-telling sessions. Her dedication for heritage education is exemplary and
she is an essential pillar of HEP’s program. For her, archaeology and heritage
education are about making history accessible and engaging for the community,
especially for young people, ensuring that uncovered histories are shared and
appreciated by everyone.
Architect Restorer
Chady Rizk is an architect restorer with a strong commitment to sustainable
development. He earned a master’s degree in architecture from USEK and another
specialized master’s program in Restoration from the Lebanese University. Chady is
committed to preserving architectural heritage in Lebanon. 
Therefore, he became very
active in his native village Ghalboun, where he co-founded the Ghalboun Hiking
Trails, promoting eco-tourism and environmental conservation. As a Sustainable
Development Strategist for the Ghalboun Municipality, he plays a crucial role in
advancing sustainable community practices. Passionate about creating cultural
heritage awareness, Chady joined HEP in 2023. He believes that the younger
generations have a crucial role to play in preserving their community's history and
core values, therefore contributing to protecting their cultural heritage resources
and creating better societies in the future.
Archaeologist - Project Manager
Elie has been an enthusiastic volunteer with HEP since 2020. With over a decade of
research experience in Byzantine and medieval archaeology in both Lebanon and
Europe, Elie has played an essential role in developing the program. He believes in
the importance of spreading cultural heritage awareness, specifically about the
Phoenician alphabet, which has become his activity specialty. He has a previous
degree in Interior architecture, which helped design some of HEP's graphic identity.
Moreover, he has studied both in Hungary and Paris, where he is finalizing his PhD
at the École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE) in Paris. However, and due to other
commitments, Elie will be absent from HEP for the moment, hopefully to return at a
later stage to continue.
Archaeologist - Education Officer
Lamis is very passionate about protecting and preserving cultural heritage. She has
graduated in 2007 from the Lebanese university with an MA and has gathered a decade
of archaeological excavation experience in downtown’s Beirut’s archaeological works.
In 2016, she started working for the Directorate General of Antiquities, heading
their department in the western and central part of the Beqaa valley. Whenever she
can, Lamis leaves her bureaucratic responsibilities, to volunteer for HEP,
especially with children with disabilities, where she thrives in assisting them in
various cultural heritage activities and awareness tasks. Lamis is truly dedicated
to her profession and the HEP team are lucky to have her.
IT - Organisation
Thomas is an IT expert in cloud architecture (Azure). He has co-founded HEP in Gera
(HEP e.V), in Germany, his hometown. Thomas is the backbone of HEP’s website
presence and is always present to assist in HEP technical tasks. 
His experience in website design and computer sofware/hardware needs is essential and his database
knowledge and IT security keeps HEP’s projects safe. Whenever he can, Thomas leaves
his comfort zone in Germany, to travel to Lebanon, helping communities in
understanding their cultural heritage. Furthermore, he is a founding member of
serveral other cultural heritage NGO’s in Germany and Lebanon, such as Kulturhaus
Häselburg e.V and the Kunstverein Region Sömmerda e.V.
Partners
The American Society of Overseas Research (ASOR) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization
whose mission is to initiate, encourage, and support research into, and public
understanding of, the history and cultures of the Near East and wider Mediterranean
world, from the earliest times. ASOR is apolitical and has no religious affiliation.
We were founded in 1900 by twenty-one institutions—including Harvard, Princeton,
Yale, and Columbia. Over a century later, ASOR has approximately 53 consortium
institutions, including universities, seminaries, museums, foundations, and libraries.
In addition, we have more than 2,200 individual members and more than 16,500 Friends.
El-Qaa is a plain located in Baalbek–Hermel District, bordered by Syria, Hermel and Ras
Baalbek. Since the Middle Ages, El-Qaa was famous for its honey production and its
remarkable landscape. Its beautiful natural lake was a crossroad for traders. El-Qaa
remains the village for religious tourists. Its many religious sites attract local
residents and foreign visitors. Located between Anti-Lebanon mountain range and the Assi
River, El-Qaa is best known for its hot semiarid summer and its cold winter. What marks
El-Qaa are the Roman and Ottoman monuments that engrave the ancient civilizations in
this village.
Unsere Gemeinde kann auf eine über 160-jährige, ereignisreiche und wechselvolle Geschichte
zurückblicken. Gegründet wurde sie 1856 von deutschen, französischen und Schweizer
Kaufleuten. Ziel war die Etablierung einer dritten, weder englisch- noch arabischsprachigen
evangelischen Gemeinde in Beirut.
Impressum
Heritage Education Program e.V.
registered in district court of Gera, Germany: VR 281684
Presidents
Thomas Fares, Elie Akiki
Headquarters
07545 Gera
Germany
bldg 115
mar chaaya, metn
Lebanon
Contact
Thomas Fares: +49 176 914 83 289, info@hep-web.org
Alia Fares: Whatsapp: +9613720061, afares@hep-web.org
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