SIDON, Lebanon: A few hundred meters off the coast of Sidon, facing the city’s port and sea castle, lies the island of Al-Zira. A campaign kicked off this month to promote conservation of the historic landmark. The “Friends of Zira and Sidon’s Beach” organization took the first steps in their initiative to preserve the island on World Environment Day.

Al-Zira was a landmark of ancient Sidon, and with the onset of summer, locals visit the island in numbers. But organizers say there is a lack of awareness about the need to keep it clean, apathy that they are trying to reverse with the new initiative.

They say the campaign will continue until the island can be restored to a status befitting its role as a heritage site and a vital tourist hub for the city.

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