Source: 9 cultural sites around the world that were destroyed by war or terrorist attacks
Reputable Crimean experts to team up with Syria in restoring ancient city of Palmyra; Tass

Photo: Valery Sharifulin
Step into the Ancient City of Palmyra at the Crow Museum of Asian Art; Kimberly Richards; NBC
The exhibition of Carolyn Brown’s photography is on view through January 2.
Source: Step into the Ancient City of Palmyra at the Crow Museum of Asian Art
Syrians bid to restore original beauty of damaged Damascus buildings; Gulf Today
Strolling through the alleyways of war-torn Syria’s capital, Rania Kataf snaps photos of the city’s famed houses, capturing their nooks and crannies for posterity.
Source: Syrians bid to restore original beauty of damaged Damascus buildings
Syrians spruce up famed Crusader castle, Krak des Chevaliers, after years of war; Gulf Today
Clutching a small saw, Syrian volunteer Rana Jreij cut away at bushes growing up the centuries-old walls of one of the world’s most famous Crusader castles, Krak des Chevaliers.
Source: Syrians spruce up famed Crusader castle, Krak des Chevaliers, after years of war
A documentary tourist trip to the historic city of Palmyra – video; Ruaa Al-Jazaeeri; SANA
The Syrian Society for Exploration and Documentation, “I am the Syrian”, organized a documentary tourist trip to the historic city of Palmyra with the participation of about 180 volunteers to record observations about the affected archaeological areas and the requirements for improving the service reality to be accomplished in cooperation with the bodies concerned.
Source: A documentary tourist trip to the historic city of Palmyra – video
Serjilla – The Dead City; Heritage Daily
Serjilla is an abandoned settlement, part of a group of 40 similar sites known as the “Dead Cities” that are organised into 8 archaeological parks in northwest Syria. – HeritageDaily – Archaeology News
Source: Serjilla – The Dead City – HeritageDaily – Archaeology News
Forgotten amid the bombs: Idlib’s ancient riches; Diane Darke; BBC
From a giant basalt lion to its own Notre-Dame, Idlib’s ancient monuments are in danger.
Palmyra: has this ancient city suffered a fatal blow, or will it rise again?; Chris Ray; SMH
Restored centuries-old market to reopen in Aleppo; Ruptly
The historic al-Saqatiyah Market in Aleppo is to be reopened after being carefully restored as shown in footage filmed on Tuesday.
Source: PressTV-Restored centuries-old market to reopen in Aleppo
Centuries-old bazaar in Syria’s Aleppo making slow recovery; Bassem Mroue; AP
Bit by bit, Aleppo’s centuries-old bazaar is being rebuilt as Syrians try to restore one of their historical crown jewels, devastated during years of brutal fighting for control of the city. The historic Old City at the center of Aleppo saw some of the worst battles of Syria’s eight-year civil…
Source: Centuries-old bazaar in Syria’s Aleppo making slow recovery
Rebuilding Aleppo: ‘We Cannot Preserve the Place but We Can Save Our Memories’; Laura MacKenzie; Arab America
Thousands of Aleppians are using a Facebook group to share their way of life before the Syrian war…
Source: Rebuilding Aleppo: ‘We Cannot Preserve the Place but We Can Save Our Memories’
Projects and studies for restoration of ancient city of Bosra al-Sham completed; SANA
The Bosra al-Sham Department of Antiquities in Daraa governorate has completed documentation of the damages caused to the old city due to the terrorist attacks. The department also prepared studies for some of the necessary works inside the castle to improve situation of the historic…
Source: Projects and studies for restoration of ancient city of Bosra al-Sham completed
In Pictures: Souk Al-Hamadiye, the Best of Damascus; Sarah Zuher; Scoop Empire
Damascus is the oldest and most continuously inhabited city in the history world. The Old City is currently a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It hasn’t…
Idlib’s ancient treasures could be lost in this war; Diana Darke; Middle East Eye
As air strikes rain down, it is important to highlight the Syrian province’s rich cultural heritage…
The Heritage of Notre Dame–Less European than People Think; Diana Darke; Arab America
It was striking as Paris’s landmark site of Notre Dame Cathedral burned before our eyes, how few seemed to know that Notre Dame’s architectural design, its twin towers flanking an elaborate entrance, its rose windows, its rib vaulting and its spire (la fleche) owe their origins to Middle Eastern predecessors. The earliest example says, Arab America contributing writer, Diana Darke, stands on a hillside in northwest Syria, in Idlib province, in a church built from local limestone in the mid-5th century. It’s called Qalb Lozeh (‘Heart of the Almond’ in Arabic) rightly praised as one of the best-preserved examples of Syrian church architecture, a magnificently proportioned broad-aisled basilica, the forerunner of what came to be known as the Romanesque period.
Source: The Heritage of Notre Dame–Less European than People Think
In war-torn Syria, an ancestor of Notre-Dame still stands; AFP
An arched entrance flanked by two towers, elaborate carvings and a broad-aisled nave: a 5th century limestone church in northwestern Syria is the architectural forerunner of France’s famed Notre-Dame cathedral. “The specific similarities between Notre-Dame and Qalb Lozeh are first and foremost, the twin tower design flanking the elaborate arched portal,” says Darke.
Notre Dame’s architecture inspired by 5th-century gothic church in Syria’s Idlib; Daily Sabah
Source: Notre Dame’s architecture inspired by 5th-century gothic church in Syria’s Idlib
Five thousand archeological sites reflect Homs wide cultural diversity; Ruaa Al-Jazaeri; SANA
Homs central province enjoys a wide cultural diversity as it embraces about five thousand archeological sites which have been the fruit of tens of successive civilizations. The archeological sites in Homs province, according to Chairman of Tourism Directorate Ahmad Akkash, belong to…
Source: Five thousand archeological sites reflect Homs wide cultural diversity
Inside the medieval castle that survived a 21st century war; Tom Westcott; Middle East Eye
Syria’s Crusader castle Krak des Chevaliers, which has withstood centuries of conflict, religious division and occupation, is again welcoming visitors…
Source: Inside the medieval castle that survived a 21st century war