UNESCO

Mar Elian
monastery, located
in al-Qaryatayn
(Syria), south-west
of Palmyra and
south-east of Homs,
was founded in
432 on the claimed
spot of St. Elian’s
death, martyred in
the 3rd century AD.
It was famous for its
beautiful frescoes.
Its intentional
destruction in
August was
strongly condemned
by UNESCO.
56
In October, ISIL/Daesh destroyed parts
of Palmyra’s Arch of Triumph, an iconic
2,000-year-old civil monument, in addition
to several funerary towers. Built by
Septimius Severus, it was a symbol of the
city, a masterpiece of civil architecture and
urban planning. Topped by geometric and
floral ornaments, it marked the junction
with Palmyra’s immense colonnade and
the Temple of Bel.
UNESCO’s response to this destruction
was manifold. An EU-funded project
for the ‘Emergency Safeguarding of the
Syrian Cultural Heritage‘ trained Syrian
professionals, as well as professionals
from neighbouring countries, in an effort
to prevent further destruction of the
country’s cultural heritage. Five training
workshops were organized by the UNESCO
Office in Beirut in cooperation with its
partners ICCROM, ICOMOS, Interpol, the
Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage
(ARC-WHC) and CyArk, which covered
issues such as first aid measures, social
cohesion through intercultural dialogue,
and the fight against illicit trafficking, as
well as digital documentation in 3D. In
addition, two working meetings regarding
inventory systems in Syria were held in
Berlin with the German Archaeological
Institute and the Freie Universität Berlin.
Thus even after this terrible catalogue
of destruction, Palmyra and Syria’s other
historic sites remain symbols of cultural
diversity, intercultural dialogue, and the
encounters of different peoples in a spirit of
tolerance and respect, in this centre for trade
between Europe and Asia. It is impossible to
erase 4,500 years of history, but the physical
destruction makes it even more essential to
raise awareness of the past and significance of
this heritage for people, and particularly the
youth, of Syria, across the world. The power
of culture is greater than all forms of violent
extremism, and UNESCO will continue to
pursue its work to transmit our heritage to
future generations, through education and
with the help of modern technology.
© Hovic/CC-BY-SA 2.0
Yemen
Yemen too suffered from conflict and
destruction. Since the beginning of the civil
war, many of Yemen’s cultural heritage sites
have been exposed to airstrikes and other
attacks. The Old City of Sana’a, a UNESCO
World Heritage site, has suffered several
bombing raids which destroyed houses and
historic buildings, and also caused human
casualties. UNESCO deplored the loss of
human lives as well as the damage inflicted
on one of the oldest and best examples
of Islamic urban landscape. The capital
Sana’a has been inhabited for more than
2,500 years, and bears witness to the wealth
and beauty of the Islamic civilization. The
dense rammed earth and burnt brick towers,
strikingly decorated, of its Old City are famous
around the world. They are an integral part
of the country’s identity and pride. Since
the beginning of the conflict in Yemen,
several houses within the historic area have,
however, suffered extensive damage and
collapsed as a consequence of shelling and
explosions. The images of magnificent manystoreyed
tower-houses and serene gardens
reduced to rubble were shocking.
Other sites, such as the medieval city of
Sa’dah, the old walled city of Shibam, the
Sufi shrines in the Hadramaut region, and
the Dhamar Museum suffered from damage
and destruction. The Director-General
repeatedly condemned these attacks and
reminded all parties to the conflict to
respect their legal obligations and refrain
from targeting cultural property.
In response to the conflict in the
country, the UNESCO Office in Doha
launched an Emergency Response Plan
that included the organization of an Expert
Meeting on the Safeguarding of Yemen’s
Cultural Heritage from 15 to 16 July.