I read an article this morning about the unrest in Syria, home to some of the world's oldest artifacts, monuments, sites, and cities. It seems that amidst the unrest and battle, both sides have spoken openly about the need to protect antiquities and World Heritage Sites.
Ordinary civilians as well as Syrian Rebels had been risking their lives in order to document the damage being done to the monuments and the museums; now, Bashar Assad's regime has joined the effort, although each side in the conflict is blaming the other for the damage inflicted on all six of the World Heritage Sites in Syria.
One could argue that civil strife leads to looting and destruction (as in the case of Iraq), and the only way to control or minimize this side effect of war is for the collective to be aware of the dangers that are being posed for ancient artifacts and sites. I would argue that Syria, in terms of acknowledging this, has thus far succeeded. Hopefully, this idea will continue to be carried out into actions, actions which will prevent further destruction of sites, preserve artifacts, and prevent looting.
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| Demonstrators in the ancient site of Palmyra |
One could argue that civil strife leads to looting and destruction (as in the case of Iraq), and the only way to control or minimize this side effect of war is for the collective to be aware of the dangers that are being posed for ancient artifacts and sites. I would argue that Syria, in terms of acknowledging this, has thus far succeeded. Hopefully, this idea will continue to be carried out into actions, actions which will prevent further destruction of sites, preserve artifacts, and prevent looting.
Unfortunately the city of Aleppo did not survive too well. Is this one of the the "six of the World Heritage Sites" that you mention? They may not have destroyed a museum or archaeological site, but an ancient living market is even more rare!
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