Anas Al Khabour

Syrian Heritage at risk

Since 2011, date of the outbreak of the ongoing war in Syria, a huge number of cultural heritage sites have been damaged. Several global initiatives have been taken in order to safeguard the Syrian cultural heritage sites. A continuation and due to the risks presently involved in gaining access to these sites on the ground, and to the discrepancy of the data provided by the international scientific community, there is a fragmented view of the entire destroyed sites and essential information is missing.

The research project will use satellite images, and data provided by archaeologists and activists in Syria and abroad for surveying the damaged cultural heritage sites and to construct a sophisticated database. This initiative will be helpful in order to provide material for future research as well as for the future management of the damaged cultural heritage sites when planning for post-war restoration, preservation and reconciliation. Post-war reconstruction projects are often implemented in haste and with a limited interest in cultural heritage, including physical remains as well as people’s memories, experiences and identities. It is therefore vital to understand the extent of damages at the cultural heritage sites to decide what sites should be reconstructed as part of the post-war reconstruction and reconciliation efforts as well as fighting against illicit trafficking in antiquities coming out from the conflict area.