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Emergency Documentation of Heritage Damage in Suwayda

Author & designer: Mariam Abdullatif | 31 May 2026

Suwayda, part of the ancient Hauran region, contains an exceptional concentration of heritage: Roman monuments such as the Suwayda theatre and the temples of Qanawat, the city of Shahba built by Philip the Arab, alongside Byzantine churches, shrines, mosaics, villas, and distinctive vernacular architecture. The local communities (Druze, Christians, and Muslims) have shaped a cultural identity closely tied to this landscape, reflected in both architecture and intangible practices such as oral traditions, rituals, and music.
Today this heritage is in acute danger. Fourteen years of conflict have brought looting of mosaics, illicit trafficking, illegal construction, unregulated demolition, and opportunistic excavations in addition to the fastly eroding monumental and vernacular sites due to neglect. The July 2025 escalation, the worst violence in a century, accelerated this deterioration in Suwayda City, Qanawat, Shahbaa, and Um al-Zaitun. Local accounts describe damaged sites, new cracks, structural instability, illegal digging, and the destruction of statues and objects. Yet none of this has been documented in a systematic or verifiable way.
The project “Emergency Documentation of Heritage Damage in Suwayda” is an urgent initiative led by Heritage for Peace to systematically document damage, assess risks, and provide a reliable foundation for future protection and recovery efforts.
This makes the situation urgent. Without reliable documentation now, damage will continue unchecked, emergency priorities cannot be identified, and sites that could still be stabilised may be lost. Creating this record is an essential and immediate step to prevent further destruction and to guide rapid protection efforts.
The project aims to establish a specialized and professional network of heritage practitioners dedicated to supporting the systematic documentation and monitoring of cultural heritage sites in Suwayda. In light of the current political context and the resulting operational constraints, national institutions such as the Syrian Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums (DGAM) face significant challenges in effectively carrying out these activities.
In response, the project proposes a structured and methodologically rigorous programme of emergency documentation designed to assess the extent and nature of damage, as well as the vulnerabilities affecting Suwayda’s most significant heritage assets. Data will be systematically collected, managed, and analysed using ArcGIS, enabling the production of accurate spatial representations and a coherent geospatial database. This process will be further strengthened through technical guidance and collaboration with international research initiatives such as EAMENA.
By generating a reliable, evidence-based understanding of on-the-ground conditions, the project seeks to establish a solid foundation for informed decision-making. This, in turn, will support coordinated interventions by experts, local authorities, and international partners, ensuring that actions are prioritised and implemented according to clearly identified levels of urgency.
Location of the Hstoric Areas of Field work

Why This Project Matters

Over fourteen years of conflict have left Suwayda’s cultural heritage increasingly vulnerable. Looting, illicit trafficking, unregulated construction, and neglect have already caused significant damage.
The escalation of violence in July 2025 further accelerated this deterioration, resulting in:
  • Structural damage to historic buildings
  • Cracks and instability in monuments
  • Illegal excavations and looting of artifacts
  • Loss and destruction of cultural objects
Despite these alarming developments, no comprehensive or verified documentation currently exists.
Without immediate action, damage will continue unnoticed, and opportunities for emergency stabilization may be lost forever.
All Current Condition Suwayda

Project Objectives

This project aims to create the first systematic, evidence-based documentation of heritage damage in Suwayda by:
  • Recording the condition of 40–60 priority heritage sites.
  • Identifying key threats and levels of risk
  • Establishing a clear prioritisation framework for intervention
  • Supporting informed decision-making for local and international stakeholders
By doing so, the project transforms scattered observations into actionable knowledge.

Introductory Tour in the Historic City of Suwayda

This introductory tour in the historic city of Suwayda represents a vivid example of engaging civil society in the protection of cultural heritage and in raising awareness of its value. Members of the local community actively participated in an interactive field activity conducted despite unfavorable weather conditions, reflecting a strong sense of commitment and shared responsibility toward preserving cultural identity.
The tour included a concise presentation delivered by the project team, addressing the history of the city and its urban development, followed by a field visit to a number of archaeological sites. This provided participants with the opportunity to explore their architectural characteristics and to discuss the challenges they face.
This initiative forms part of the activities of the Suwayda Heritage Protection Project, which focuses on empowering local communities and strengthening their role as key partners in documentation and protection efforts. Through such activities, we aim to foster sustainable collective awareness that supports the preservation of cultural heritage for future generations.
We extend our sincere appreciation to Hobaq Media for their media support, and we invite you to join us in upcoming activities and contribute to safeguarding our shared heritage.

The Heritage Site Cleaning Campaign

This section presents a selection of field photographs documenting the heritage site cleaning campaign implemented as part of the Suwayda Heritage Protection Project. The campaign witnessed notable participation and strong engagement, reflecting a growing awareness and interest among local communities and residents in safeguarding cultural heritage.
The images highlight a model of effective institutional and community collaboration, illustrating coordinated field efforts among the Directorate of Antiquities in Suwayda, the municipal council, and the local community of Qanawat, with active participation by volunteers from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent. This collaboration demonstrates the integration of roles among key stakeholders involved in heritage protection.
These field-based interventions contribute to mitigating deterioration factors affecting heritage sites, particularly through the removal of harmful vegetation and environmental elements that threaten structural integrity. Such actions are implemented among an integrated approach that combines systematic documentation of damage with preventive on-site measures.
The campaign further underscores the importance of engaging local communities as central actors in heritage safeguarding efforts, thereby enhancing the sustainability of interventions and fostering a shared sense of responsibility toward cultural heritage. In this context, we extend our sincere appreciation to all participants and contributors whose efforts played a vital role in the success of this campaign, which represents a practical step within a broader framework for the protection and documentation of cultural heritage in Suwayda.

Partners

This project is funded by the Gerda Henkel Foundation, through Heritage for Peace, and implemented by the Protecting Suwayda’s Heritage Project invitei.

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