Relics Gone Forever

Long known as "the cradle of civilization," Mesopotamia (i.e. Iraq, Syria, Turkey) is nothing short of an open field history museum, home to more than 10,000 cultural heritage sites, ranging from the 5,500-year-old cities of Sumer to archaeological remains of the Akkadian, Babylonian, Assyrian, Hittite and Parthian cultures to name a few.

Baghdad, Damascus, Mosul, Aleppo and others are some of the Arab world’s earliest and greatest capitals, and have enjoyed a golden age of architectural and political achievements in the Middle Ages. More recent monuments, such as Ottoman palaces and public colonial buildings, as well as works and monuments of modern international architects, have great value and significance in the region’s history.

Archaeological sites, in both Iraq and Syria, that had been excavated and those which are unexplored, have suffered as a result of widespread wars, neglect and looting since the beginning of the current conflicts in the region.

Historic buildings and contents in urban areas have been damaged, not only as a consequence of military activity and terrorism, but also from vandalism and targeted looting.

Following the start of the Iraq war in 2003, WMF and the Getty Conservation Institute launched a joint initiative to rebuild the capacity of that country's antiquities staff, conducting training workshops in nearby Jordan and building a web-based database to record and track the numerous cultural heritage sites.

Monuments within Iraq and Syria remain at great risk, and catastrophic losses have already been sustained. The inclusion of the entire body of Syrian and Iraqi's cultural heritage on the Watch List for a second time recognizes the impact of the losses, and the importance of protecting these extraordinary relics of human history.

Ongoing conflicts are robbing the region of both its future and its past by stripping the countries of their tangible cultural heritage. Syrian and Iraqi’s cultural heritage faces additional threats in the form of illicit looting, vandalism, government neglect, and political infighting. The U.N., Turkish, U.S., Russian, and local governments lack any meaningful strategy to preserve, protect, and rebuild the sites contributing to the countries’ cultural legacy of being the cradle of civilization.

The American invasion in 2003 resulted in wholesale destruction, including the ancient city of Babylon, and left the country’s cultural property vulnerable to excessive pillaging.

Most of Iraq was home to the former Assyrian capital Samarra, the Erbil citadel, and numerous ancient and medieval sites and artifacts, including the ancient cities of Nimrud and Hatra, parts of the wall of Nineveh, the ruins of Bash Tapia Castle and Dair Mar Elia, and artifacts from the Mosul Museum were also destroyed. Iraq’s National Museum in Baghdad was also, prior to the U.S. invasion, home to the largest collection of Mesopotamian artefacts.

Much of Syria's cultural heritage was damaged or looted during the Syrian Civil War. Destroyed buildings include the minaret of the Great Mosque of Aleppo and the Al-Madina Souq, while others such as Krak des Chevaliers, Khusruwiyah Mosque (Husrev Mosque), the Lion of Al-lāt, the temples of Bel and Baalshamin, the Arch of Triumph and other sites in Palmyra, the Monastery of St. Elian, the Armenian Genocide Memorial Church, and several ancient sculptures in the city of Raqqa were destroyed.

The countries oil revenues once funded some of the heritage preservation efforts and archaeological research in the region. But the states capacity diminished after the lengthy Iran-Iraq war, the Gulf war, the Syrian civil war and punitive sanctions.

Local leaders have not only failed to protect the region’s cultural heritage, but have rather contributed to their destruction by demolishing historic homes and landmarks.

The even more significant calamity is the obliteration of the undiscovered sites and relics lying beneath with the indiscriminate shelling and aerial deep penetrating or bunker buster bombing campaigns.

RAQ Heritage is an independent, non-profit organisation dedicated to advancing and protecting the cultural heritage of Iraq. This will be carried out through detailed monitoring, studies, research, analysis, and presenting the true value of the ancient heritage of Iraq. www.iraqheritage.org Mission: Reviving Iraq's legacy

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites are places of importance to cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, but fails short of any aspect or initiative to protect such in any way.

The International Criminal Court (ICC or ICCt) is an intergovernmental organization and international tribunal that sits in The Hague in the Netherlands. The ICC has the jurisdiction to prosecute individuals for the international crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. 

Wouldn't crimes against more than humanity, such as crimes against destruction of humanity's cultural heritage be in order?

Food for thought!