UN warns that war-torn Syria’s cultural heritage is in peril
The Church of Saint Simeon Stylites, located about 19 mile northwest of Aleppo, Syria, is thought to be the oldest surviving Byzantine church, dating back to the fifth century. Image by Bernard Gagnon. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license.
A joint statement from U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, UNESCO director Irina Bokova and international mediator on Syria Lakhdar Brahimi called on allsides to “halt immediately all destruction of Syrian heritage, and to save Syria’s rich social mosaic and cultural heritage.”
The officials condemned the use of historical sites for military uses, including four World Heritage Sites – Palmyra, Crac des Chevaliers, the St. Simeon Church in the ancient villages of Northern Syria and Aleppo, including the Aleppo Citadel.
“As the people of Syria continue to endure incalculable human suffering and loss, their country’s rich tapestry of cultural heritage is being ripped to shreds,” the statement said.
“Archaeological sites are being systematically looted and the illicit trafficking of cultural objects has reached unprecedented levels,” it added.
The U.N. urged any art dealers or tourists who come across Syrian artifacts to be cautious.
“We appeal to all countries and professional bodies involved in customs, trade and the art market, as well as individuals and tourists, to be on alert for stolen Syrian artifacts, to verify the origin of cultural property that might be illegally imported, exported and/or offered for sale,” the statement said.
Syria’s World Heritage sites had “suffered considerable and sometimes irreversible damage” the statement warned.
“All layers of Syrian culture are now under attack – including pre-Christian, Christian and Muslim.”
The UN said it had also received reports that precious historical sites were being targeted for “ideological reasons.”
“Human representations in art are being destroyed by extremist groups intent on eradicating unique testimonies of Syria’s rich cultural diversity,” it warned.
“The destruction of such precious heritage gravely affects the identity and history of the Syrian people and all humanity, damaging the foundations of society for many years to come,” the statement added.
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
The Church of Saint Simeon Stylites, located about 19 mile northwest of Aleppo, Syria, is thought to be the oldest surviving Byzantine church, dating back to the fifth century. Image by Bernard Gagnon. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license.
