This post is sponsored by the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie

“My obsession with the citadel of Tripoli started when I was a little girl. My grandmother lived in Abou Samra, a hill with a direct view on the citadel. Every time we visited her, I used to admire this imposing, majestic building and imagine what could go on in there. I was fascinated. What was its history? What was it hiding?


During my childhood I grew up hearing legends about that citadel, but nobody was ever able to tell me its story. The adults I knew had never set foot there! My own mother, who was born and raised in Tripoli, only visited the citadel at the age of 70, when I took her there.


Then, one day in 1994, I heard that the citadel was finally reopened to the public. I was 25. As soon as I heard the news, I went there.It was magical, I could finally see it, touch it.


But once again, I got frustrated. I could spot some architectural elements but I didn’t know what they meant. This is when I started doing my own research.


I spent 20 years gathering information and building some kind of touristic and historical guide of the citadel.My dream was to be able to share my fascination with the new generation.


Last year when I saw the call for tenders on a heritage project from the AUF, I figured I could apply. I won the bid and was finally able to finalize my brochure and train 12 teachers on how to guide their students around the Citadel.”


Aïda Soufi, 53, is an assistant professor in the Department of Education at the University of Balamand. She won the AUF call for tenders for a heritage project in April 2018.