Damage to Syria’s Heritage – 04 May 2018

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This June, UNICEF will join with Australia’s best chefs to celebrate traditional Syrian cuisine and historical cultural influences. Learn more on the UNICEF website.

At the Azraq camp in Jordan, traditional taarab ballads help Syrians reconnect with their musical heritage. Read more online at African News website.

Aleppo Citadel’s amphitheatre hosted the “Aleppo, the Beating of the Heart” event which included folk dances and traditional musical performances. Learn more on the SANA website.

Professor Fawaz Azki has opened the first Syrian geological museum, where displays are dedicated to the cultural, educational and scientific heritage of Syria.
Read the full Syria Times online article.

An art exhibition in Aleppo’s al-Sabil Park features painting of the city’s historic sites and ancient architecture. Learn more on the SANA website here.

A new law could potentially see the state confiscating the property of displaced people, with major implications for reconstruction. Legislation could allow government confiscate properties of displaced Syrians unless they prove ownership in 30 days.
Read the full Al Jazeera article here.

The Federation of Arab Engineers and IFP (International Fairs and Promotions) will jointly host a major summit in Baghdad this October to discuss the reconstruction of the destroyed cities in Iraq and Syria. Read more on the Trade Arabia website.

Following the UNSC resolution and Astana Peace Process, Iran, Russia and Turkey have issued a joint statement on Syria calling for improved heritage protection. Learn more on Mehr News online.

Open Heritage, a collaboration between CyArk and Google Arts and Culture, documents endangered heritage sites, providing open data for the public. Sites include Syria’s Al Azem palace.
Read more on Wired.

A discussion at the American University of Beirut gathered participants from Lebanon and abroad to discuss protection of cultural heritage throughout the Middle East, including Syrian sites.
Read the full Geneva Call article online here.

The Getty Villa reopened after a year of renovation and re-installation intended to better place objects in their historical context. Items include artifacts from Syria, such as 1st – 3rd funerary relief portraits from Palmyra. Read the full New York Times article here.

The Urkesh tour has now reached Italy – A number of photos are available on the ATPA Facebook page.

• AlHakam Shaar of the Aleppo Project talks about the future of the project and the need to involve returning Syrians in the processes of reconstruction here.
• The Independent published an account of a tour guide who worked in Syria reflecting on historic sites and the recent damage: “I felt such great pride when people, who would come from great countries such as Britain, found my country fascinating. Tourists would say to me that they now understand how Syria’s history has contributed to world religions and civilisations.”
• Apollo Magazine wrote here about the ongoing exhibit at the Penn Museum which includes Syrian cultural artifacts.
• News Deeply reported here on the need to include Aleppo’s local population in urban planning and reconstruction efforts.
• The Guardian reported here on the recent damage to Mari. No new information, but a succinct history and overview of damage.
• Stepfeed published an article here about historic sites destroyed by Daesh, including (apparently) the Roman Theatre in Bosra. Presumably they mean the theatre at Palmyra, since all the flooding photos confirm the state of the theatre at Bosra.