This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011/12.
Alongside the mounting death toll, a massacre is being perpetrated against Syria's heritage. Little is being said about this issue in both mainstream and social media.
Did you know for instance that six sites in the country are on the UNESCO World Heritage List? They are the Ancient City of Aleppo, Ancient City of Bosra, Ancient City of Damascus, Ancient Villages of Northern Syria, Crac des Chevaliers and Qal’at Salah El-Din Site of Palmyra. Also, another 12 historic sites are also on a tentative list.
Since March 30, 2012, UNESCO has been appealing to the world to save Syria's monuments. Irina Bokova, UNESCO Director General said:
Damage to the heritage of the country is damage to the soul of its people and its identity.
The city of Aleppo, in particular, has been caught in the crossfire between the rebels and the regime's army. This has prompted once more the UN institution and its affiliate, the World Heritage Committee to raise the alarm.
Destruction, pillaging, looting and illicit trafficking … this is the fate of a treasure which has survived for thousands of years.
In order to document the damage targeting Syria's history, a Facebook page and YouTube account have been created on under the title ‘The Syrian archaeological heritage under threat’, with information available in Arabic, French, English and Spanish.
No information is available on the real identity of those behind that page but it seems they are a group of Syrian or expatriate archeologists, who have worked in the country.
In one of the notes we can read this plea:
There is not much we can do to help them out of this situation, besides sending them our most sincere wishes of peace. However, there is something we can do. Syrians are witnessing how their cultural heritage is in danger, and how it is suffering important damages. A part of their collective cultural richness could be dramatically lost. Here is what we can do to contribute to the effort of protecting this heritage: We have all sent the archaeological material from our excavations to the local museums, or have left it in our missions’ houses. Much of this material can disappear due to the uncertain situation in many parts of the country. So, dear colleagues, let’s have our archives, inventories and catalogues ready, to help trace the material, should it disappear. When the time comes, this action will contribute to better outline the situation of the excavated archaeological material prior to the troubles.
Here is for instance an example of the destruction at the Historic district of Bab Al Dreib in Homs:
This is Bab al Turkman in Homs:
And this is the famous Aleppo Citadel, before and after:
The ancient souk in Midan also suffered damage:
On YouTube, a number of videos show the extent of the damage of some historic sites. Here is a sample:
This is the Mosque of Abu Ubeida al Jarrah in Tell Bysse being bombed:
The state of the old town of Aleppo
Monastery of Saidnaya hit by a shell:
Qalaat Al Madiq Bombing-Apamea Castle
A petition to save Syria's cultural heritage is also available on Avaaz.
This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011/12.
5 comments
ALEPPO
In
Aleppo, I saw carnage left by war
and
the shepherds who fled
like
others down winding dusty roads
carved
from centuries of wind and stone.
Here,
among the freezes of the Hittites
where
myrtle mingles with the dead,
an ancient Syria rises up from
its Citadel,
drenched
in spume and blood.
Today,
the newspapers and television
tell
of thousands slaughtered.
Night
has spilled its black ink over Syria
but
the sun will burn again.
The
rug vendors, coffee drinkers, and chess players
will
come out into the streets of Damascus,
with
their fists raised.
The
dry air will celebrate its bleached bones.
Luis
Lázaro Tijerina, Burlington, Vermont, United States
Thank you Luis Lazaro :) its very very beautiful
UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE has become a meaningless concept. the damage is inconceivable in other parts of the world, not seen, not mention, not talked or written about, however irksome this may sound. Its not even a horrific loss of life the news agencies could report about.My plight is that I have not seen these monuments.Its a plight not having seen them or not being explained what they r and hoe they look.Its an eerie loss, its spreading silently.Its a tourists experience, its a buzz to visit these, how should I explain any government taht such a personal feeling, experience, buzz curiosity matters , is their matter, directly their matter.The loss is a definitive utter, terminal loss of something from within, from the memory of humankind.An erased part of humans.Those erased minded wont even notice anything.Were it not nice to put up some short essays about the lost works of arts, just things a tourist guide would say.Maybe even i could do that, wold I have a few photographies