Save Syria's Threatened Heritage Sites

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:

The historical district of Bab Al Dreib in the city of Homs destroyed

 

This is Bab al Turkman in Homs:

Another historical part of Homs destroyed

And this is the famous Aleppo Citadel, before and after:

The once very famous Citadel of Aleppo

A block of stones, this is what the the Famous Aleppo Citadel is becoming

The ancient souk in Midan also suffered damage:

This is how the old souk in Midan District in Damascus has become

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.

Note: All the photographs were taken from ‘The Syrian archaeological heritage under threat’ Facebook page or YouTube.

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011/12.

5 comments

  • Luis Lazaro Tijerina

    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

  • thalia rahme

    Thank you Luis Lazaro :) its very very beautiful

  • an

    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

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