A call for launching a comprehensive national initiative to protect Syrian heritage

Culture

DAMASCUS, Feb.15, (ST)- Miral, 10-year-old girl, stands in front of the National Museum in Damascus, holding a banner demanding the protection of Syrian antiquities from the illegal excavations that are taking place in many archaeological sites in the country.

The girl reflects – during the stand that was staged today in front of the museum-the hopes of an entire generation to preserve the cultural identity of Syria.

Archaeological researcher Iyad Ghanem, who chairs the Association for the Management of Museums and Archaeological Sites, and the organizer of the protest said that these antiquities represent a national heritage that belongs to the entire Syrian people.

He called for launching a comprehensive national initiative to protect Syrian heritage including an appeal to local communities to return and hand over antiquities obtained illegally, stopping all illegal excavations, and forming an international fund to revive Syrian heritage and antiquities.

According to the latest statistics, about one million artifacts in Syria have been stolen, and about 710 archaeological sites have been partialy or completely damaged from 2011 to 2019.

Syrian antiquities are not just artistic or archaeological pieces, but rather an evidence of ancient civilizations dating back thousands of years. It is necessary for the international community to join local efforts to protect this cultural heritage and pass it on to future generations.

Basma Qaddour

 

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