Damage to Syria’s cultural heritage (lists and maps); belated rescue attempts

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. 

Cultural lossess in Syria in each governarate

Cultural lossess in Syria in each governarate

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

ScreenHunter_4458 Mar. 12 15.31 ScreenHunter_4459 Mar. 12 15.32 ScreenHunter_4460 Mar. 12 18.08ScreenHunter_4460 Mar. 12 18.08 ScreenHunter_4461 Mar. 12 18.09 ScreenHunter_4462 Mar. 12 18.09 ScreenHunter_4463 Mar. 12 18.10 ScreenHunter_4468 Mar. 12 18.13 ScreenHunter_4474 Mar. 12 18.19 ScreenHunter_4475 Mar. 12 18.20      

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

http://www.dgam.gov.sy/

https://www.facebook.com/turath.athari.syria

Project with UNESCO

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Archeology in Syria Network

http://ainsyria.net/

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.

UN News Centre
 (in Spanish), Una ONG une a los sirios en la defensa de su patrimonio cultural único, in MSN, here: http://noticias.cl.msn.com/…/una-ong-une-a-los-sirios…
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Blue Shield: International Committee of the Blue Shield (ICBS)
%20International%20Council%20on%20Monuments%20and%20Sites.htm
 
The Blue Shield conference in Rome next week – one of the themes is the destruction of Heritage in Syria and how to help (http://www.aur.edu/…/culture-threat-future-1954-hague…/).
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Heritage for Peace

About alisariram

I am an artist, a writer and a researcher. I know Arabic and English . I am interested in music and art of every description. I like to describe myself as the embodiment of a harmonious marriage between two cultures which I value and treasure.
This entry was posted in Aleppo, Alisar Iram: articles and notes, Directorate General of Syrian Museums and Antiquities, Lists of conferences to save Syria's antiquities, NGOS, Statistics and lists of cultural damage in Syria, Syria, Syria's cultural heritage, Syrian Archaeology and antiquities, Syrian Heritage, UNESCO, World Heritage Site and tagged , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

2 Responses to Damage to Syria’s cultural heritage (lists and maps); belated rescue attempts

  1. Emma Cunliffe says:

    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

    • alisariram says:

      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.

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