ASOR Syrian Heritage Special Reports
[First posted in AWOL 4 September 2015, updated 3 October 2018]
ASOR Syrian Heritage Special Reports
Current Status of the Tell Ain Dara Temple | Read the Report
ASOR CHI geospatial analysis indicates that
an explosion damaged the Ain Dara temple in northwest Syria on or before
January 22, 2018. The Ain Dara temple is the best-preserved example of
Syro-Hittite religious architecture from the late second and early first
millennia BCE. It is elaborately decorated with basalt sculpture and
reliefs. Larger-than-life human footprints carved into the temple’s
stone thresholds are unique to the building. It is also considered to be
a close parallel to the contemporary Temple of Solomon, which is known
from descriptions in the Old Testament.
The Raqqa Museum and its storerooms in nearby
Heraqla are dedicated to the preservation and exhibition of the
cultural heritage of Raqqa Governorate. Though small in comparison to
the museums in Damascus and Aleppo, the Raqqa Museum contains an
important collection of excavated remains that date from prehistory to
the modern day. Prior to the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011, the
museum was an important local employer and a symbol of civic pride and
Raqqawi identity.
The region of Palmyra and modern Tadmor was
taken from ISIL militants by a coalition of Syrian, Russian, and Iranian
military forces on March 24, 2016. This report will provide a summary
of what is known to have taken place in the area since September 2015,
including a synopsis of the humanitarian and military situation since
then and the effects the conflict has had on the cultural heritage of
ancient and modern Palmyra. This report is a preliminary analysis of a
rapidly developing event, and initial findings may be subject to change
as further information is revealed. For a more complete summary of the
situation in Palmyra, please refer to the upcoming Weekly Report 85–86 (reporting period ending March 29, 2016) and Weekly Report 87–88 (reporting period ending April 12, 2016).
Since its capture by ISIL militants in May
2015, the region around the ancient city of Palmyra (modern Tadmor) has
been in the midst of a humanitarian crisis, which has escalated
dramatically in recent weeks. This report will provide a summary of the
current situation in Palmyra and the effects of the conflict on its
people and cultural heritage. Atrocities include attacks on civilians
and mass abductions. Intentional damage to the cultural materials of the
local populations is widespread, including the destruction of Islamic
and Christian religious sites, as well as severe damage to the
architectural remains within the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Palmyra.
Confirmed damage at this archaeological site includes the destruction of
the Baalshamin Temple, the Temple of Bel, and at least seven tower
tombs within the Valley of the Tombs.
This special report by Cheikhmous Ali
(Association for the Protection of Syrian Archaeology) provides a
detailed account of damage done to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of
Palmyra between February 2012 and June 2015.
The ancient city of Palmyra stands out as one
of the most remarkable archaeological sites in Syria and, indeed, the
world. Following the takeover of the site and the adjacent town of
Tadmor by ISIL, Palmyra has been in the news daily. The purpose of this
report is to provide a concise introduction to the site and its
importance so that the international community can better understand why
it should be saved.
A video released by ISIL on April 11, 2015,
provided vivid and shocking documentation of the deliberate destruction
of relief sculpture and standing architecture at the famous
archaeological site of Nimrud, located in northern Iraq near the city of
Mosul. The video documents ISIL militants vandalizing, smashing, and
piling up relief slabs using hand tools, power tools, and vehicles; it
then shows the detonation of the relief slabs and large parts of the
Northwest Palace using a series of barrel bombs. This report provides a
brief introduction to the site of Nimrud and summarizes the current
state of knowledge regarding the destruction of the Northwest Palace.
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