Damage to Syria’s Heritage – 08 November 2015

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• Franklin Lamb examines the work of Syria’s ‘Monuments Citizens’ to safeguard their heritage on October 29 2015 here, having met Syrians who pose as buyers for looted antiquities, and others working in teams with 3D cameras.
• H4P has posted an article about Maaloula, by a group who have been documenting Syria’s heritage sites since 2008. See it here. 

Hear Professor Mamoun Abdul Karim, Head of Syria’s Directorate-General of Antiquities & Museums, DGAM Syria , speak in his first visit to the UK: Thursday 12th November, 7pm

Heritage and Conflict: Syria’s Battle to Protect its Past
Royal Geographical Society, Kensington Gore, London
Tickets: WMFB Members £10/Non-members £15
Book online or call Tel: 020 7251 8142.

Khaled Assad, has been given a memorial, reports the  DGAM on October 28 2015. A digital booklet commemorating his life has been produced by the DGAM here.

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A Syrian activist, together with an international team, has launched a new project to 3D model Palmyra. #NEWPALMYRA. The first  models are already available on their website. They are looking for contributors of all sorts: 3D modelers, archaeologists, artists, curators, developers, educators, journalists, researchers, wikimedians.  Check out their website.

Huffington Post on November 4 2015 examines efforts by the US Congress to limit Daesh’s profits from antiquities trading here.

More details on the proposed laws can be found in the recently released Heritage for Peace International Actions Report (Vol 3).

On October 29 2015, it was announced that the British Museum and the UK Government have established a $4.5m / £3m scheme for rebuilding and conservation of damaged monuments in Iraq, a scheme that they hope one day to extend to Syria. For details, see here.

Given that there are so many sites in danger in the region, the World Monuments Fund has instead created the following entry on its endangered sites 2016 Watch List:

“The 2016 Watch includes the Unnamed Monument in recognition of the deliberate and calculated damage to thousands of cultural heritage sites in many areas of political and social instability. There are simply too many sites at risk to be included individually on the Watch, and no immediate hope for resolution. The Unnamed Monument seeks to shift the focus to local populations who are losing their cultural heritage and history, and away from our own outrage, which plays to the propaganda of those who are perpetrating this damage.”

Read more about the Watch List here.

ASOR’s Cultural Heritage Initiatives weekly report 55/6 is now available, under the title “Planning for Safeguarding Heritage Sites in Syria and Iraq.” It can be found here.

• The Independent wonders if we should ‘preserve ruins’ on November 4 2015.
• The Times-Picayune (New Orleans) looks at the work of heritage expert Tess Davis on October 28 2015 here.
• DW.com looks at illegal looting on October 26 2015 here.