In the shadow of recent wars and political disputes, cultural heritage, be it material or immatierial, has been suffering continuous damage. It is either consciously being destroyed, for example the globally well-known ruins in Palmyre, or numerous cultural goods in Mosul, or sustains damage through fighting or people seeking protection in culturally valuable sites. In his now published publication, Prof. Dr. Maamoun Abdulkarim presents the impact war and conflict had and have on the ancient villages of Northern Syria (UNESCO world heritage) with a particular view on the involvment of local communities and future strategies for preserving cultural heritage. Previously, he had worked on reviewing and collecting data concering various archaeological sites, supported by the Gerda Henkel Foundation. Prof. Dr. Abdulkarim is a Professor at the University of Sharjah and was the former Director of Antiquities and Museums in Syria. We asked him about the meaning and challenges of his work.
"The Ancient Villages of Northern Syria have been under constant threat since the Syrian Crisis in March of that year"
L.I.S.A.: Prof. Dr. Abdulkarim, archaeological and historical heritage in Syria has been subject to worldwide recognition especially since 2011, with the well-known example of Palmyra being destroyed by the IS in 2015. Could you please describe your work as well as the relevance of the publication you have just published?
Prof. Abdulkarim: The archaeological villages of Northern Syria dated from Roman and Byzantin period, also known as the Dead Cities, number more than 700 largely abandoned settlements, located in the mountains (Jebel) of Sem’an, al-Halqa, Barisha, al-A’la, al-Wastani and Zawiyé. Sixty or so are in excellent architectural condition, despite the effects of time and the negative impact of more recent human activity, largely because of the robust nature of the limestone from which they were built. In places, the facades of the buildings, which include churches, temples, houses and bathhouses, still stand to roof height. Recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (WHS) in 2011, the Ancient Villages of Northern Syria have been under constant threat since the Syrian Crisis in March of that year. Almost from the time of WHS inscription, the villages suffered from the impact of armed conflict, including destruction and damage during the war, looting by treasure hunters, quarrying of stone and illegal construction of houses and buildings.
This book considers our current understanding of state of the Ancient Villages, including the types of settlement, the buildings within them and their various functions, and assesses the most recent damage related to the Syrian Crisis for the first time since it began in 2011.