With its national cadres, Damascus Citadel regains its civilizational brilliance

The Zionist entity did not only target civilian sites in Syria ,but its attacks affected archaeological sites left to humanity by prestigious civilizations and educational institutions from which  qualified national cadres graduated to safeguard the history of all mankind.

The Damascus Citadel, which is registered on the UNESCO World Human Heritage List, was not spared the crime of the Israeli aggression against Damascus and its surroundings at the beginning of this week. This global monument, which dates back to the beginning of the 13th century, contains the Technical Institute for Applied Arts and the Technical Institute for Archeology of the Directorate of Antiquities and Museums of the Culture Ministry.

After the Israeli aggression last Sunday, a group of engineers, technicians, workers and guards from the Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums participated by manually sorting and handling the debris from the place, hoping to access some of the important instruments  or tools that were under the rubble caused by the aggression.

The former director of Damascus Castle, Engineer Edmon Al-Aji, reviewed in a statement to SANA correspondent the importance of these high-precision survey devices, photographic and engineering lifting devices, as well as the archives and important documents related to the Damascus Castle project, which are studies, research and plans that have been done for years.

Al-Aji indicated that the mass of buildings destroyed in the castle as a result of the aggression was approximately 50 meters long and 6 meters wide, noting that the next stage would be to assess the damage and study the feasibility of reconstruction for the high costs it needed and to show the advantages and disadvantages of any subsequent decision whether to rebuild and restore or maintain the status quo.

The Director of the Technical Institute for Applied Arts, Gandhi Khader, considered Damascus Castle to be an archaeological heritage and human value for all mankind, and targeting it in such a brutal way shows irrelevance to cultural values, indicating that the Institute occupies the largest area, where the photography and television department had been completely demolished.

Khader noted the efforts made by those involved in the Ministry of Culture, in cooperation with students and teachers of the institutes, to lift debris and prepare the affected places as much as possible, stressing the resumption of the educational process next Sunday.

“In our country, we are destined to live and remain steadfast despite the deep sadness that has affected all of us, especially as we work in the field of the arts. This will be kept in our memory and conscience.” Khader concluded.

Regarding the importance of the Technical Institute for Antiquities and Museums, the Director of the Institute, Dr.  Mayassa Deeb, said: “The Institute was founded in 1986 with the aim of providing institutions concerned with the distinguished technical archaeological staff capable of dealing, preserving and addressing everything related to antiquities. This cadre is qualified to work within archaeological excavation sites and to represent Syria in foreign missions. Members of the cadre possess information that allows them to work within the historical buildings’ documentation, restoration and maintenance teams. They can also work in various fields such as dealing with, organizing and protecting museum objects.

Israel’s aggression against some residential neighborhoods in Damascus, its archaeological castle and the educational institutions it hosts has resulted in the martyrdom of a number of people, and significant material damage to the archaeological construction of the Damascus Castle, which has been registered on the World Heritage List since 1979, and this is prohibited because international conventions prohibit the targeting of cultural sites. Accordingly, this attack is a fully fledged offence.

Amal Farhat