| ISIS are taxing looting to fund themselvesAccording to a report on the Chasing Aphrodite blog”ISIS has cited Al-Khuns [a tax] in ordering locals to pay one-fifth of the proceeds of looting, which they have sanctioned and overseen across the archaeologically rich northern Iraq and Syria, experts say, citing local sources. […]
Local sources tell observers that ISIS is dedicating manpower to supervising the looting at major excavation sites, something they would be unlikely to do unless it provided meaningful income”.
Read the full article, Twenty Percent: ISIS “khums” tax on Archaeological Loot Fuels the Conflicts in Syria and Iraq, here. |
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| Syrian chants preservedThis NPR interview chronicles the work of a punk drummer to preserve ancient Syrian musical chants.Read / listen to the article, Before War, A Punk Drummer Preserved Syrian Chants, by NPR here. |
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| Reports and Updates from the Syrian Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums |
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| DGAM to electronically document sites“The Directorate has documented sixteen sites so far, with a hundred more sites scheduled to be uploaded by the end of the current year, Mahmoud Hamoud, Director of Damascus Countryside Antiquities told SANA. […]The e-documentation will include information on the scientific content, manuscripts, images, the history of the sites, excavations, historical documentation, renovation projects of buildings, and the date of registering archaeological sites in the national list of World Heritage.”
Read the full article, New project for electronic documentation of Syrian archeological sites launched, in SANA here. |
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| Excellent summary of the actions to protect Syria’s heritage sitesAgudo Villanueva interviews Dr Maamoun Abdulkarim, head of the Syrian Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums. The article provides an excellent overview of the actions being taken to protect Syria’s heritage.Read the full article, Interview with Maamoun Abdulkarim: “more than 6000 archaeological artifacts has returned to Syria during the past three years”, in Mediterráneo Antiguo here. |
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| The DGAM condemns the damage to AleppoIn this article the DGAM plead for the destruction of Aleppo to stop.Read the full article in English here and in Arabic here. |
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| Policy Changes and Updates from Syria |
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| ASOR and the American Department of State to assist in protecting Syrian heritage“The U.S. Department of State and the American Schools of Oriental Research (ASOR) have signed a $600,000 cooperative agreement to comprehensively document the current condition of cultural heritage sites in Syria and assess the future restoration, preservation, and protection needs for those sites. ASOR’s documentation and planning will raise global awareness of the threats to Syria’s cultural heritage and identify immediate or future projects and assistance that can be carried out and provided inside Syria.”Read the full press release, Safeguarding Heritage Sites in Syria, on the U.S. State Department website here. |
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| UNESCO update on their workUNESCO have provided a comprehensive update on the work they are doing help protect Syria’s heritage. See details of their 3-pronged approach in this article. |
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| Syrians risk their lives to protect their heritageThis news articles details the risks that Syrians are taking to protect their heritage, and the work the Association to Protect Syrian Archaeology is doing to support them.Read the full article, Monuments Men: The Quest to Save Syria’s History, in Der Spiegal Online, here. |
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| Photography exhibition in MadridThe Syrian Tourism Ministry have co-organised an photography exhibition of Syria’s archaeology sites in Madrid, showing them before the conflict and now.Read the full article, UNWTO Secretary-General: Vandalism of Syrian heritage sites by terrorists unjustifiable, in SANA here. |
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| New damage documentation websiteThe excellent Monuments of Syria website is now devoting a page to monitoring the damage that is occurring. Follow it here. |
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| News Updates(Not covered in other sections) |
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Reports and more information on the damage to Syria’s heritage
- Rainer Schreg has the August released a new update on his blog – Archaeologik – on damage to Syria’s heritage (in German), compiling news articles and important information, Medienberichte zu IS in Syrien und Irak, available here.
- This article contains examples of the sorts of objects being illegally sold in Turkey.Syria’s heritage “For Sale” in Turkey and other countries, in Zaman AlWasi, 10 August 2014.
- Article about UNESCO’s actions to protect cultural heritage across conflicted areas, including Syria.UNESCO strengthens action to safeguard cultural heritage under attack, UNESCO website, 12 August 2014.
- Cultural Trafficking funds weapons in the Middle East, article by Art Media Agency, 04 August 2014.
- Syria warns rebels against attacking historical sites, XINHUA article in Punch, 08 August 2014.
- Cultural Heritage in Peril: Ancient Victims of Modern War in the Middle East, in HeadStuff, 07 August 2014.
- The Fight to Save Syria’s Cultural History From Ravages of War, in Artnet News, 08 August 2014.
- Efforts to Protect Syria’s Cultural Heritage, VOA Editorial, 11 August 2014.
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