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Destruction, Looting Of Syria's Ancient Heritage Continues, Report Says
The upheaval in Syria has been going on for more than a year now, and in that time thousands of people have been killed, including many civilians and children. Syria's many ancient sites are also getting damaged. Previously, we've talked about how the Syrian army has shelled the ancient city of Palmyra and the Crusader castle Crac des Chevaliers. Both of these are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, of which there are six in the country.
A report by the Global Heritage Fund states that these and many other sites and museums, are getting damaged and looted in the chaos. Sites like Tell Sheikh Hamad, pictured above in this Wikimedia Commons image. This Assyrian town was inhabited for several centuries and archaeologists have found numerous cuneiform inscriptions there. Recently it became a battleground between the Syrian army and deserters. An Assyrian temple reportedly collapsed when it got hit by shellfire and the rest of the site likely suffered serious damage as well.
The medieval citadel of Hama has also been shelled, as can be seen in the video below.
Besides the fighting, historic sites are getting damaged by troops digging trenches, tanks rolling over fragile areas, and snipers building positions atop historic homes. Not even mosques have been safe, with several historic mosques suffering damage.
Looting is also a serious problem since members of museum staff are often not around to guard their collections due to the fighting. In Crac des Chevaliers, looters kicked out the staff at gunpoint and started digging.
With no end in sight for the Syrian Civil War, it's certain that more of the nation's previous heritage will be destroyed or stolen.
Filed under: History, Learning, Syria, News, Middle East
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Tuni Sami Jun 8th 2012 2:37AM
This Citadel in the video above, called Qala'at al-Mudiq in Arabic, is actually in the Hama province and not in the city of Hama. It is a Mediaeval castle built on the site of the ancient acropolis of the Graeco-Roman city of Apamea, about 45 minutes north-west of the city of Hama. Right below Qala'at al-Mudiq are the less-than-half excavated ruins of Apamea, which has the longest Roman colonade in existence, well-preserved and famed for its spiral fluting columns. Let's hope these amazing ruins survive intact, otherwise it would be a tragedy for humanity.