In this post I shall concentrate on providing what I have collected of maps, statistics, graphs, information and links to sites recording damage to Syria’s heritage. I shall also refer to International conferences held in order to assess the damage and draw plans to help preserve Syria’s antiquities against the impact of war, vandalization, looting and organized systematic trafficking.
Initial Damage to Syrian Cultural heritage as compiled by The Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums in Damascus. Please note that this assessment might not have been able to cover the whole story as those parts of Syria under the rebels control might not be very accessible to DGAM: https://www.facebook.com/turath.athari.syria?hc_location=timeline
Click to access damages_table_ar.pdf
The Wikipedia lists the losses in general as follows in their link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_heritage_sites_damaged_during_Syrian_civil_war
International and local efforts to save Syria’s cultural heritage
The International efforts, even several independent efforts to attempt saving Syria’s cultural heritage have met so far with two obstacles or in better words have achieved, in my opinion, modest successes for the following reasons:
1. The party attending the conferences is the Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums, a cultural institution funded and supervised by the Syrian Government. All International efforts are directed through it. This is inadequate and a failure to address the realities of the situation. I have no information about whether representatives of the Syria Opposition working in the field are asked to attend the International conferences even in an unofficial capacity.
2. The Syrian NGOS for the protection of Syrian cultural heritage in the freed areas of Syria under different rebel authorities are not invited or contacted. They are the groups which can liaise with rebels and fighters, not to mention that they have been heroically trying to save what can be saved, in addition to exerting very valuable efforts in attempting to document, keep records, compile banks of archival images, documents, records and videos.Under The Antiquities Department of The Council of the The Free Governarate of Aleppo,for instance, several attempts were made to protect important fragile objects and parts of important buildings.
3. Training in how to protect antiquities, heritage sites, artifacts and museum collections should be arranged when possible and offered to archaeological trainees living in the freed areas.
Syrian Official and NGO or Facebook sites
Directorate General of Syrian antiquities and museums (official body) DGAM
https://www.facebook.com/turath.athari.syria
Project with UNESCO
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Archeology in Syria Network
https://www.facebook.com/Archaeology.in.Syria
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Protect Syrian Archaeology حماية الآثار السورية http://www.apsa2011.com/index.php/en/
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Le patrimoine archéologique syrien en danger الآثار السورية في خطر
Aleppo Archaeology https://www.facebook.com/pages/Aleppo-Archaeology/459668177425042 Rescue the Old City of Aleppo https://www.facebook.com/rescue.aleppo
****** Aleppo NationalArchivehttps://www.facebook.com/pages/%D8%A3%D8%B1%D8%B4%D9%8A%D9%81-%D8%AD%D9%84%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%88%D8%B7%D9%86%D9%8A/403586466412482
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The Antiquities Department of The Council of the The Free Governate of Aleppo شعبة الآثار _ مجلس محافظة حلب الحرة https://www.facebook.com/Department.Archaeology?fref=photo
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توثيق آثار حمص المدمرة Documenting the Injured Archaeological Sites of Homs
https://www.facebook.com/Archaeological.Sites.of.Homs
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Eyes on Heritage
https://www.facebook.com/eyesonheritage
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International and heritage sites interested in Syria and Conferences held recently t0 discuss damage to Syria’s cultural heritage.
I don’t know if you’ve seen this, but if not, it might be of help?
Click to access Towards-a-protection-of-the-Syrian-cultural-heritage.pdf
Thank you so mush Emma. I shall study it then add it to the main article. Thank you for several links I used in the article which you mentioned during correspondence between us. If you have anymore useful links and ideas, I would be very thankful for your contribution.