WEEKLY REPORT 40
May 12, 2015
U. S. Dept. Cooperation Agreement Number: NEA-PSHSS-14-001
BY Michael D. Danti, Cheikhmous Ali, Tate Paulette, Kathryn Franklin, Allison Cuneo, LeeAnn Barnes Gordon, and David Elitzer
DOWNLOAD: REPORT
* This report is based on research conducted by the “Safeguarding the Heritage of the Near East Initiative,” funded by the US Department of State. Monthly reports reflect reporting from a variety of sources and may contain unverified material. As such, they should be treated as preliminary and subject to change.
Executive Summary
During the reporting period, the Syrian Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums (DGAM) and the Association for the Protection of Syrian Archaeology (APSA) released a large number of reports on heritage damaged in the UNESCO World Heritage Site Ancient City of Aleppo. Heritage reporting by these organizations relies heavily on news organizations and combat journalists.
Damage incidents related to combat follow previous geographic patterns from late 2014 and early 2015, with damage concentrated in the city of Aleppo and Daraa Governorate. The exact causes and dates of damage are often vague or unspecified, but overall are generally linked to recent, multiple tunnel bombings, barrel bombings, airstrikes, and heavy combat in Aleppo’s Old City, particularly in the Jdeideh, Al-Jalloum, Suq al-Madina, Farifira, and Al-A’ajam Districts located northwest of the Aleppo Citadel, as well as unstable conditions in the south of Syria.
In Iraq, reported heritage incidents subsided relative to previous weeks.
Key points from this report:
- Damage reports from various sources indicate continued severe damage in the UNESCO World Heritage Site Ancient City of Aleppo. (pp. 8–13, 16–30)
- The press continues to focus attention on archaeological looting, trafficking, and antiquities sales, as well as heritage destruction in the conflict zone.