Over 20 foreign researchers make proposals to revive Syrian Heritage

Participants in the scientific conference, kicked off Saturday in Damascus under the slogan ‘New Visions and Proposals to Revive Syrian Heritage’, have called for setting up a Web database to publish Syrian archeological documents and carrying out rescue works for heritage in coordination with concerned Syria institutes.

They also underlined the need to use a new method in archeological research and to gear up for post-war period.

Head of the Ebla archeological mission Prof. Paolo Matthiae talked about the main principles of rehabilitating word heritage, asserting the importance of respecting Syria’s sovereignty during rescue works as it is a member of the United Nation and UNESCO.

 He also called for enhancing cooperation between concerned Syrian institutes and the UNESCO in this field.

Dr. Sgolin de Bonbgaan from the French Amiens University asserted the need to exchange information in order to establish international archive center.

While Director of the International Institute for Mesopotamian Area Studies talked about rehabilitation works in Tal Mozan site in Qameshli, referring to the key role of local community in protecting archeological sites.

Exhibition

During the opening ceremony of the conference, Director-General of the DGAM Dr. Maamoun Abdulkarim said that the event is being held amid continuity of attacks on archaeological sites in Syria.

“Since the start of the terror war on Syria, the Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums has worked on taking part in all international meetings to explain the reality of events taking place in the country, including terrorist organizations’ attacks on archeological sites,” he added.

There were many speeches and lectures given by the participants during the two-day event, which coincided with holding an exhibition outside the National Museum of Damascus where 24 photos of Syrian archeological sites were featured. 

Over 20 foreign researchers from France, Italy, Germany, Poland, the United States and Hungary plus several Syrian researches took part in the conference organized by the DGAM in cooperation with ‘ICONEM’.

Basma Qaddour