On November 10th, 2022 the American University of Beirut in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture - Directorate General of Antiquities (DGA) – Lebanon, hosted a fair in Saida Sea Castle. 60 students from grade 8 along with 5 instructors from the College Saint-Joseph de l'Apparition in Saida were invited. 

After the DGA site manager gave a historical overview of the place, the students were introduced to the installed games developed within the MEDGAIMS project. 

The students experienced defending the castle against imminent maritime invasions while playing the phygital game “Save the castle”. The game is composed of two elements, a catapult and a tower. In teams of two, the students helped each other to destroy enemy ships.
Also the students discovered hidden treasures from the past with the game “Save the treasure”. The treasures can only be found and seen using augmented reality (AR) on provided mobile phones.

By participating to these cultural games, the participating students got the chance to learn more about the history of Saida Sea Castle in an innovative and exciting way.

Stay tuned for more similar experiences in other heritage sites!