Tyre’s shoreline was adorned with beautiful and creative sculptures over the weekend, created for the southern city’s second annual sand-sculpting competition.
More than 15 teams from across Lebanon participated in the contest, which marked the start of the summer season in Tyre. The event was held under the patronage of the Tourism Ministry in collaboration with Sandcastles in Lebanon, and was held on the shore in front of the Rest House Tyr Hotel and Resort. 
Ralph Keserwany’s standing gorilla sculpture took him four hours to complete. Keserwany, who traveled from Haret Hreik to participate, said his choice of animal was not random, but rather aimed to draw attention to the species’ endangered status and the problem of illegal poaching. “The reason for choosing an animal that is being subjected to death … is to address a message to the world to leave this creature alone. “God created it so that it can live in peace. Its killing is a crime and [harms] the natural balance. … I hope this message will reach the world,” he added. Swimmers stopped to observe the participants in action, as they worked patiently under the hot sun. “It’s a beautiful art – for grains of sand to be turned into a physical thing – [it] emulates our society,” said Issam Sabra, who stopped to watch the event. 
Sabra said he was most interested in a sculpture of a huge crocodile, which occupied a large part of the shore. The piece was built by a team led by architect Therese Efrem. “We worked with patience, using buckets and shovels, and of course the idea is the most important thing,” said Ephrem, who added that although many people are afraid of reptiles, it’s important to preserve the animals for the benefit of nature. “It’s an artistic work that we have created. I hope we don’t change our environment, and [can] maintain the current environmental balance.” Ephrem urged the Lebanese government to take note of the talent on display and provide support for other such events. Palestinian Ayman Assadi said he was driven was by his imagination to create a ship that sank at sea, only to reappear again in a forest surrounded by dinosaurs. He echoed Ephrem’s sentiments, adding that he hoped sand art would become popular on Lebanese shores. Some participants found inspiration elsewhere. Serop Khatchadourian and his team from Boushrieh made a sculpture of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun. “We had a good day,” said Khatchadourian, who spent more than three hours working on the piece. “At the end we created an artistic work and left our mark here – I will leave it for the public.” As the competition drew to an end, Suzette Beshara and his team raced against time to finish their “Drive Safe” sculpture. 
“We chose the car because of the new traffic law and to remind people to drive safely. We wanted [something] to distinguish it from the others,” he said. The car took five hours to finish, with the team completing the form by inserting two shovels for wing mirrors. Other sculptures addressed themes of conflict. Salim Maalouf’s sand sculpture depicted a variety of primitive weapons, which he said represented all that’s left of a battle when the fighters have died. “These weapons speak about the battle,” said Maalouf, who reflected that war is not a solution, and seldom has any winners. Each team and sculpture had its own identity, explained Ban Khalifa, who runs the marketing and sales department at the Rest House Tyr. “This activity is to highlight the historical city of Tyre, a tourism city par excellence,” Khalifa said. “Each team wanted to express in its art their unique [perspective].” Khalifa said she hopes the event will mark the start of a promising summer season in Tyre, and called on Lebanese, expats and foreigners to revise any negative perceptions of tourism in south Lebanon, saying that it’s safe, and everyone can enjoy their time there. Mohammed Zaatari| The Daily Star
