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Damage to Syria's Heritage

11 July 2021
This newsletter provides a summary of the most recent reports on the damage to and restoration of Syria's heritage. It should be stressed that many of the damage reports cannot be verified, but it is hoped that it will assist in the documentation of the damage occurring, and help raise awareness of ongoing work. Heritage for Peace have released a statement concerning their stance on data recording, available here.

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Main Contents

New from Heritage for Peace | Updates on Damage | Updates on Looting | Intangible Heritage | Syrian Activity | Policy Changes and Updates from Syria | International Activity | News Updates

Stories
New from Heritage for Peace
  • None
Updates on Damage
Concerns that cultural sites used to store weapons

Diyaruna raise concerns that militias are storing weapons caches in various archaeological sites. Weapons depots are apparently located near al-Rahba citadel and in the Ain Ali shrine area, both in the vicinity of al-Mayadeen in Deir Ezzor province; vaults of the historic citadels, such as al-Salihiya and al-Rahba in Deir Ezzor; at the Byzantine basilica of Rusafa Hisham bin Abdul Malik, west of al-Raqa, and near archaeological sites on hills overlooking the city of Deir Ezzor, he added, as well as in al-Raqa desert, and in the Temple of Bel in the ancient city of Palmyra in Homs province.

The source claims that the militias have "take[n] shelter in archaeological sites. The militias regard these sites as a safe haven, as they are protected under international law and cannot be targeted with air strikes".
Updates on Looting
The damage from illegal excavations at Al-Hasakah [image: SANA  from The Syria Times]
Illegal Excavations in Al-Hasakah Countryside

The Syria Times reported that an armed group has been carrying out illegal excavations in the Tal Abu Bakr and Rajman archaeological sites. The Syria Times quoted the head of Al-Hasakah Antiquities Department as saying that illegal excavations have been going on for two days, noting that the two archaeological sites had previously been subjected to excavations and theft. 
Intangible Heritage
  • None
Reports and Updates from the Syrian People
The current state of the historical monument of Khan Kurt-Bey

SIMAT (Syrians for Heritage) published a new report about the current situation of Khan Kurt-Bey in Suwayqat Ali neighborhood, Aleppo. The report is a documentary and analytical study of the building that was conducted by Architectural Engineer Souraya Zureick. The study provides information on the history of the building, a detailed architectural description, damage assessment due to the ongoing conflict, and the restoration of some damaged parts of the building. The Khan is one of the most important historical monuments in the city of Aleppo, as it reflects the architectural characteristics of the Mamluk and Ottoman styles.
Syrian heritage and local community connections

Revving the Old Markets of Aleppo with city resident representatives
The Syria Times reported about a meeting between the representatives of Aleppo city's residents to discuss reviving the markets of the old city. The meeting was organized by Aleppo Governorate and the Syrian Trust for Development and gathered many groups of the Aleppine community, including historians, experts, craftsmen, and local and international associations. The three day meeting discussed the strategy of restoring and reviving the old city markets.

Lecture titled Local Communities and the Protection of Local Heritage in Conflict Areas
SIMAT (Syrians for Heritage) organized a lecture: 'Local Communities and the Protection of Local Heritage in Conflict Areas - Evidence from Northwest Syria' . The lecture reviewed the results of a comparative study between the regions of Idlib and the northern countryside of Aleppo. Where the reasons behind the lack of individual and local institutional responses in the countryside of Aleppo were clarified, and on the other hand, the factors that may have helped to enable a positive community response in Idlib were highlighted. The lecture is available in Arabic on SIMAT YouTube channel here.
Policy Changes and Updates from Syria
  • None
International Activity
Community responses to protecting archaeological sites during conflict: Evidence from Northwest Syria

The CARA (Council for At-Risk Academics) Syria Programme has launched a new ‘Briefing Paper Series’ in order to distil and accelerate the dissemination of key research findings and recommendations on critical challenges facing Syria and displaced Syrian populations.

The paper is available electronically in
Arabic here and English here.
Russia to help restore Syrian sites

Al-Monitor reports on 3 agreements between Russia and Syria to restore Syrian heritage. The first agreement, founded in November 2019 between the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg and the Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums, is to restore the Archaeological Museum of Palmyra and its collections. 

The second agreement, with the Russian Academy of Sciences Institute of Material Culture, is to train Syrian staff and exchange information on image-based 3D modeling when assessing the damage caused by the Islamic State (IS).

The Association Stone Industry of Russia signed the third agreement in November 2020 to restore the Arch of Triumph in Palmyra.

In a new agreement, Al Monitor reports that Russia will also assist in restoring Apamea.
Syrian Art Museum in Bremen City

The Syria Times reported that the Takla Cultural Institute in Germany will open the Museum of Modern Syrian Art in the German city of Bremen. The agency quoted the Syrian honorary consul in Germany that the museum will open in October and will display works by Syrian artists with the aim of introducing German society to Syrian culture. 
A Lecture on Preserving Palmyra, Petra and Hatra

The Getty Research Institute and the American Center of Research in Jordan held a lecture entitled “Human Heritage: Preserving Palmyra, Petra, and Hatra”. The lecture aimed to discuss the future of these cities and the efforts made to preserve them. The ancient histories of the cities of Palmyra (Syria), Petra (Jordan) and Hatra (Iraq) represent the story of the cultural exchange between their peoples. Although the universal value of these cities is recognized by local and global communities, protecting what remains of their common human heritage remains a major challenge.

The lecture is available from The American Centre of Research in both Arabic here and English here.
News Updates
(Not covered in other sections)
  • DGAM (The General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums) reports on the completion of restoration work on the Damascene Hall in the National Museum in Damascus.
  • MIT Future Heritage Lab present T-Serai (Textile System for Experimentation and Research in Artistic Impact). Created following collaboration with displaced Syrians in various desert camps in Jordan, together with the Jordanian and Palestinian members of the host community, it explores how art and design can offer creative and critical tools to not only expose global inequalities and amplify the voices of those who have been silenced, but to also imagine and create alternative futures.
This mailing list was produced by Dr Emma Cunliffe, in association with Heritage for Peace
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