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UNESCO WARNS SYRIAN HERITAGE SITES ENDANGERED
http://armenpress.am/eng/news/723317/unesco-warns-syrian-heritage-sites-endangered.html
12:58, 20 June, 2013
YEREVAN, JUNE 20, ARMENPRESS: UNESCO added six ancient sites in
Syria including a fortress of Saladin and a Crusader castle to the
endangered World Heritage list, warning that more than two years
of civil war had inflicted heavy damage. As reported by Armenpress,
this was published by Agence France-Presse on June 20.
"Due to the armed conflict situation in Syria, the conditions are
no longer present to ensure the conservation and protection of the
Outstanding Universal Value of the six World Heritage properties,"
UNESCO said.
Syria has six World Heritage Sites: the ancient cities of Damascus,
Bosra and Aleppo, the oasis of Palmyra, the castles of Crac des
Chevaliers and Qal'at Salah El-Din - which counts as one site - and
the ancient villages of northern Syria. All six were placed on the
list of World Heritage in Danger by the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization committee at its annual meeting
in Phnom Penh.
Experts say fierce fighting and deteriorating security have left the
country's extraordinary archaeological heritage susceptible to damage
and looting.
UNESCO said its information on the scale of the destruction was
"partial" and came from unverified sources including social media and
a report from Syrian authorities which it said "does not necessarily
reflect the actual situation".
Aleppo's old city, in particular, has "witnessed some of the conflict's
most brutal destruction," it said, adding that the old citadel had been
"caught in the line of fire".
In April, the minaret of Aleppo's ancient Umayyad mosque - originally
built in the 8th century and then rebuilt in the 13th century -
was totally destroyed.
"The immediate, near-term and long-term effect of the crises on the
cultural heritage of Aleppo cannot be overstated," UNESCO said.
There are also fears for two castles considered architectural treasures
of the period of the Crusades in the 11th-13th centuries.
Crac des Chevaliers and Qal'at Salah El-Din (Fortress of Saladin)
have "been exposed to clashing and gunfire," according to a report by
Syrian authorities given to UNESCO. Saladin was the Kurdish military
leader who recaptured Jerusalem from the Crusaders in the 12th century
and is lionised across the Middle East.
Referring to Crac des Chevaliers, the report said: "We think that
the ancient mosque (the chapel) in the centre of the citadel, which
still retained traces of original paintwork, has been damaged."
Clandestine excavations, including looting of ancient tombs and grave
sites, have also been reported at several of the sites, it added.
In February, at least 18 ancient mosaics depicting scenes from Homer's
"The Odyssey" were stolen during illegal excavations on archaeological
sites in the war-torn country's northeast, the country's culture
minister said at the time.
UNESCO launched an appeal to Syria's neighbours and the international
community to fight illicit trafficking of cultural property coming
from Syria
From: A. Papazian
http://armenpress.am/eng/news/723317/unesco-warns-syrian-heritage-sites-endangered.html
12:58, 20 June, 2013
YEREVAN, JUNE 20, ARMENPRESS: UNESCO added six ancient sites in
Syria including a fortress of Saladin and a Crusader castle to the
endangered World Heritage list, warning that more than two years
of civil war had inflicted heavy damage. As reported by Armenpress,
this was published by Agence France-Presse on June 20.
"Due to the armed conflict situation in Syria, the conditions are
no longer present to ensure the conservation and protection of the
Outstanding Universal Value of the six World Heritage properties,"
UNESCO said.
Syria has six World Heritage Sites: the ancient cities of Damascus,
Bosra and Aleppo, the oasis of Palmyra, the castles of Crac des
Chevaliers and Qal'at Salah El-Din - which counts as one site - and
the ancient villages of northern Syria. All six were placed on the
list of World Heritage in Danger by the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization committee at its annual meeting
in Phnom Penh.
Experts say fierce fighting and deteriorating security have left the
country's extraordinary archaeological heritage susceptible to damage
and looting.
UNESCO said its information on the scale of the destruction was
"partial" and came from unverified sources including social media and
a report from Syrian authorities which it said "does not necessarily
reflect the actual situation".
Aleppo's old city, in particular, has "witnessed some of the conflict's
most brutal destruction," it said, adding that the old citadel had been
"caught in the line of fire".
In April, the minaret of Aleppo's ancient Umayyad mosque - originally
built in the 8th century and then rebuilt in the 13th century -
was totally destroyed.
"The immediate, near-term and long-term effect of the crises on the
cultural heritage of Aleppo cannot be overstated," UNESCO said.
There are also fears for two castles considered architectural treasures
of the period of the Crusades in the 11th-13th centuries.
Crac des Chevaliers and Qal'at Salah El-Din (Fortress of Saladin)
have "been exposed to clashing and gunfire," according to a report by
Syrian authorities given to UNESCO. Saladin was the Kurdish military
leader who recaptured Jerusalem from the Crusaders in the 12th century
and is lionised across the Middle East.
Referring to Crac des Chevaliers, the report said: "We think that
the ancient mosque (the chapel) in the centre of the citadel, which
still retained traces of original paintwork, has been damaged."
Clandestine excavations, including looting of ancient tombs and grave
sites, have also been reported at several of the sites, it added.
In February, at least 18 ancient mosaics depicting scenes from Homer's
"The Odyssey" were stolen during illegal excavations on archaeological
sites in the war-torn country's northeast, the country's culture
minister said at the time.
UNESCO launched an appeal to Syria's neighbours and the international
community to fight illicit trafficking of cultural property coming
from Syria
From: A. Papazian