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Hassan Nasrallah would like to welcome you to Mleeta, one of Lebanon's more unusual tourist destinations. The unsmiling face of Hezbollah's leader greets visitors in a slickly produced 10-minute video shown in a modern theater, telling them: "I'm honored to be with you in this tourist landmark."
Located in southern Lebanon in an area that was once hotly contested between Hezbollah's forces and the Israeli military, Mleeta, which was opened in 2010, covers some 60,000 square meters of undulating outdoor paths and wooded areas, and another 5,000 square meters in buildings. Part war-trophy museum, featuring captured Israeli equipment, and part military showcase, displaying Hezbollah's own weaponry, Mleeta attracts a mix of curious foreigners, dedicated Hezbollah followers and families looking to admire the scenic views.
Although sanctioned by Lebanon's Ministry of Tourism, getting there still requires going through a series of military checkpoints, and many taxi drivers from Beirut are hesitant to drive to Mleeta, given the country's continuing sectarian issues.
It's odd to think of Hezbollah, a group labeled a terrorist organization by the United States, creating a tourist attraction, but that's exactly what it's done. Set amid a picturesque mountain top, the rough terrain once housed a series of fortified hideouts for some of Hezbollah's most hardcore fighters, including a unit of "martyrdom seekers," essentially a suicide brigade that acts on direct orders from the group's leadership.
Now, the terrain is well groomed and features a fountain, exhibit buildings, and artfully arranged outdoor displays. Carefully planned and elaborately constructed, the museum doesn't identify its funders, but the modern buildings and stylized exhibits clearly required major financial backing. Billed as a "resistance tourist landmark," Mleeta is a carefully constructed showpiece for Hezbollah, which combines a militant philosophy with social services intended to win support among the local population. The museum and accompanying exhibits feature both these tenants, highlighting examples of Hezbollah's war prowess with a repeated theme of civilian protection.
"All wars end in tourism," says author Tom Vanderbilt, but Mleeta proves perhaps a slightly more nuanced axiom about the nature of armed conflict and sightseeing. Mleeta is about encouraging the Lebanese civilian population to continue support for an ongoing conflict, which for Hezbollah won't end until Israel is destroyed.
All photos: Sharon Weinberger
