ASOR’s Cultural Heritage Initiatives Weekly Reports
ASOR’s Cultural Heritage Initiatives is a cooperative agreement between ASOR and the U.S. Department of State that is designed to document, protect, and preserve the cultural heritage of war-torn Syria and northern Iraq. Hundreds of significant heritage sites have been damaged since fighting began in 2011. Although the destruction of cultural property represents only part of the humanitarian crisis, these harmful actions threaten our common world heritage and the cultural diversity of the people in Syria and northern Iraq. We have an ethical obligation to respond, and our project is part of an international effort to work with Syrians to protect their heritage and cultural identity
Site Index of weekly Reports from ASOR’s Cultural Heritage Initiatives
• Russia conducted airstrikes near the archaeological sites of Palmyra in Homs Governorate at Tell al-Hara in Daraa GovernorateWeekly Report 65–66 (October 28, 2015 – November 10, 2015) | Read the Report
• Newly-released DigitalGlobe satellite imagery reveals evidence of conflict-related looting at the site of Rasha el-Qibliye
• The Syrian Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums (DGAM) reported on damage to the site of Al Bara, which forms part of the Dead Cities region of Syria
• On November 8, the DGAM reported that some media outlets had released information on an alleged tunnel bombing west of the main (south) entrance of the Aleppo Citadel. The DGAM’s regional office in Aleppo later verified the report and localized the damage to the open area between the Citadel’s main gate and the Khan Shouneh. ASOR CHI is currently gathering additional details• The DGAM reports illicit excavation at multiple sites in southern Quneitra Governorate of SyriaWeekly Report 63–64 (October 14, 2015 – October 27, 2015) | Read the Report
• DigitalGlobe satellite imagery shows new constructions built near the site of Heraqla
• The DGAM reports looting and damage at multiple sites in Hama Governorate of Syria
• ISIL executes three captives tied to the Colonnaded Street in ancient Palmyra, Syria• Ongoing looting at the site of Tell Bezzam and in the Dier ez-Zor regionWeekly Report 61–62 (September 30, 2015 – October 13, 2015) | Read the Report
• Russian airstrikes allegedly struck multiple sites in the Dead Cities region. The Day After Heritage Protection Initiative report details damage to Shinshara
• ISIL advances into rebel held areas of Syria in the wake of the Russian air campaign in support of SARG forces
• ISIL intentionally destroys the Arch of Triumph in Palmyra, Syria
• ISIL supporters demolish the Abdullah ibn Mubarak Shrine and Mosque in Hit, Iraq• A barrel bomb was detonated at the citadel of BosraWeekly Report 59–60 (September 16, 2015 – September 29, 2015) | Read the Report
• Airstrikes against ISIL military targets damaged the Citadel of Palmyra and new evidence of undocumented destruction in the Valley of the Tombs at Palmyra
• Ongoing looting and militarization at the site of Apamea and at Tell Houach
• Russian military forces intervened in the Syrian conflict on the side of Bashar al-Assad’s regime• New evidence of undocumented destruction in the Valley of the Tombs at PalmyraWeekly Report 57–58 (September 2, 2015 – September 15, 2015) | Read the Report
• Ongoing looting and militarization at the site of Apamea and at Tell Houach
• New propaganda from ISIL was released, depicting the destruction of the Deir Mar Elian monastery, the Baalshamin Temple, and the Temple of Bel
• DigitalGlobe satellite imagery confirms the extent of damage to the Baalshamin and Temple of Bel
• The Day After Heritage Protection Initiative produced a report on the damage to sites in the Manbej and Jarablus regions• The Day After Heritage Protection Initiative produced a report on the damage to the Khan Assaad PashaWeekly Report 55–56 (August 18, 2015 – September 1, 2015) | Read the Report
• New information on the damage to the German storehouse at Tell Chuera
• Decorative reliefs a the Nineveh Obrawi Hotel defaced by ISIL militants
• Airstrike damage to the Tadmor Museum was reported
• ISIL-affiliates attacked Islamic shrines and cemeteries in Hama, al-Hasakah, and ar-Raqqa Governorates, Baalshamin Temple, the Temple of Bel, the Abu Bakr Mosque, Jabal Simeon Park, and the The Dier Mar Elian Monastery in Homs Governorate
• APSA reports looting at Tell Adeh in Idlib
• Turkish customs officials confiscated 3,300 Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman artifacts discovered in a truck at Istanbul's Pendik port
• ISIL executes Khalid al‐Assad, former Director of Palmyra AntiquitiesWeekly Report 53–54 (August 18, 2015) | Read the Report
• Qassem Abdullah Yahya killed in a rocket attack on the Damascus Citadel
• Substantial damage to the Khan Assad Pasha in Maarat al‐Nu’man
• Daraa National Museum continues to suffer combat damage
• Airstrike damage to the Tadmor Museum was reported
• ISIL’s posts 19 photos showing Sufi shrine & grave destruction (Fallujah)
• Airstrike damaged the German Expedition headquarters at Tell ChueraWeekly Report 51–52 (August 4, 2015) | Read the Report
• Syrian rebels detonated tunnel bombs near the Old City of Aleppo• New photos showing the current condition of the the Fakhr al‐Din al‐Maani CastleWeekly Report 50 (July 21, 2015) | Read the Report
• ISIL prisoners destroy tombstones in the town of al‐ Mayadin
• New information on heritage damage in Marbaa
• ISIL militants destroyed a Yezidi shrine in the town of Gabara
• ISIL demolished the Olympic Stadium in Ramadi, Al Anbar Governorate, Iraq• The Aleppo Citadel sustained severe damage after a tunnel bomb was detonated beneath the northeastern fortification wallWeekly Report 49 (July 14, 2015) | Read the Report
• ISIL militants destroyed Palmyrene funerary sculptures in ManbijWeekly Report 47–48 (July 7, 2015) | Read the Report
• ISIL release video of mass execution of SARG military personnel in Palmyra
• Reported damage to sites caused by military clashes in the area of Zabadani
• The Daraa Museum suffered minor damage during military combat
• Reports in Iraq of the destruction of the Tomb of Imam Ismail south of Kirkuk• ISIL militants planting explosive devices among the architecture of PalmyraWeekly Report 46 (June 23, 2015) | Read the Report
• ISIL destroyed the Shia Shrine of Sheikh Mohammad ibn ‘Ali
• ISIL destroyed the Tomb and shrine of Shagaf/Nizar Abu Behaeddine
• ISIL destroyed modern graves in the cemeteries of Tadmor, Syriaine
• UK Secretary of State for Culture, Media, and Sport, announced the UK will ratify the 1954 Hague Convention• SARG targeting of Ma’arat al‐Nu’man museum and areas within Palmyra and AleppoWeekly Report 45 (June 16, 2015) | Read the Report
• ISIL destruction at Assur was confirmed using high‐resolution satellite imagery
• YPG advances on Tell Abyad in Syria could sever ISIL overland routes to Turkey• Unconfirmed reports of looting and destruction by ISIL at Palmyra in SyriaWeekly Report 44 (June 9, 2015) | Read the Report
• Unconfirmed reports of deliberate destruction by ISIL at Assur in Iraq
• Unconfirmed reports of deliberate destruction by ISIL of religious sites in Iraq
• Critics cite imbalance in media coverage of heritage relative to other humanitarian issues• U.S. House passed H.R. 1493 Protect and Preserve International Cultural Property ActWeekly Report 42–43 (June 2, 2015) | Read the Report
• U.S. Department of State and UNESCO held a Stakeholders Roundtable in Paris
• Emergency Red List of Iraqi Cultural Objects at Risk 2015 Update launched
• Reports of ISIL intentional destructions at UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ashur in Iraq
• ISIL captured Syrian city of Tadmor and UNESCO World Heritage Site of Palmyra
• Severe combat damage in main theaters of military action in Syria and Iraq• ISIL now controls Tadmor and UNESCO World Heritage Site of Palmyra in SyriaWeekly Report 41 (May 19, 2015) | Read the Report
• ISIL now controls provincial capital city of Ramadi in Iraq
• Ten countries in the Middle East and North Africa have announced “Cairo Declaration”• Severe damage in the UNESCO World Heritage Site Ancient City of AleppoWeekly Report 40 (May 12, 2015) | Read the Report
• Media focuses on antiquities looting/trafficking and heritage destruction in conflict zone• Urban warfare the leading cause of reported damage in SyriaWeekly Report 39 (May 5, 2015) | Read the Report
• Reported damage in northern Iraq decreases markedly
• Media reports focus attention on the looting, trafficking, and sale of antiquities
• New incident reports for earlier ISIL deliberate destruction events in northern Iraq• Multiple tunnel bombs and barrel bombs detonated in Jdeidah quarter of AleppoWeekly Report 38 (April 27, 2015) | Read the Report
• New data on looting of Tell Sabi Abyad storehouses
• Evidence of purported ISIL-issued licenses to loot archaeological sites
• House Foreign Affairs Committee unanimously passed H.R. 1493
• Reports on heritage damage in the south of Syria• DGAM posted heritage damage report for January–March 2015Weekly Report 37 (April 20, 2015) | Read the Report
• ISIL released video showing deliberate destruction of Northwest Palace at Nimrud, IraqWeekly Report 36 (April 13, 2015) | Read the Report
• DGAM released Quarterly Report (Jan. 1–March 31, 2015) on heritage damage in Syria• Combat-related damage in Idlib, Hama, and Daraa Governorates in SyriaWeekly Report 35 (April 6, 2015) | Read the Report
• Idlib Museum collections at risk, following seizure of the city by Jaish al-Fatah
• ISIL continued its campaign of performative deliberate destructions in Iraq
• ISIL video showing deliberate destruction at UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hatra• Satellite imagery reveals probable evidence for intentional destruction at NimrudWeekly Report 34 (March 30, 2015) | Read the Report
• Idlib Museum threatened by recent capture of the city by rebel forces
• UNESCO World Heritage Site Ancient City of Bosra captured by rebel forces
• Looting at the UNESCO World Heritage Site Ancient City of Palmyra• ISIL continues campaign of performative deliberate destructions in N Iraq and SyriaWeekly Report 33 (March 23, 2015) | Read the Report
• Survey confirms claims of ubiquitous looting in the Raqqa area facilitated by ISIL
• Two credible but unverified reports of tunnel bomb detonations in Aleppo• Two tunnel bombs allegedly detonated in Ancient City of AleppoWeekly Report 32 (March 16, 2015) | Read the Report
• Many reports of intentional destruction by ISIL in northern Iraq remain unconfirmed• Alleged ISIL deliberate destructions at Nimrud, Hatra, Khorsabad, and AssurWeekly Report 31 (March 9, 2015) | Read the Report
• More detail about ISIL deliberate destructions at Mosul Museum and Nineveh
• ISIL reportedly destroys Hamou Qado Mosque in Mosul
• ISIL reportedly destroys Mosque of Sheikh Mohammad al-Abariqi in Mosul
• Damage to al-Dalati Mosque in Homs
• Damage to Haron Dada Mosque and Bimaristan Arghun al-Kamili in Aleppo• ISIL video shows intentional destruction of antiquities at Mosul Museum and NinevehWeekly Report 30 (March 2, 2015) | Read the Report
• ISIL burns large numbers of books from Mosul’s libraries
• Damage to sites in northern Iraq in the Nineveh and Salah ad-Din Provinces
• ISIL reportedly destroys al-Khidr Mosque in Mosul
• Update about damage to the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus• Turkish Armed Forces enter northern Syria to “relocate” Tomb of Süleyman ŞahWeekly Report 29 (February 23, 2015) | Read the Report
• Syrian Regime’s 2015 southern campaign jeopardizes heritage in Syria’s Hauran Plain
• British House of Commons debates destruction and looting of sites in Syria and Iraq• UN adopts resolution to “impair, isolate and incapacitate” ISIS and Jabhat al-NusrahWeekly Report 28 (February 16, 2015) | Read the Report
• Archaeological sites in rural areas are being damaged by looting and agriculture
• Satellite imagery shows damage and cross-border trafficking in Tell Abyad district
• Satellite imagery confirms DGAM reports of damage to Resafa (Sergiopolis)• Comparison reveals underreporting of damage by the DGAM in certain areasWeekly Report 26–27 (February 9, 2015) | Read the Report
• Satellite imagery reveals large-scale looting and earthmoving at Tell Bi’a
• Damage rates have increased in Damascus, Aleppo, and the Dead Cities region
• ISIL deliberately destroyed library collections in Mosul’s Central Library system• New analysis of 740 archaeological sites using satellite imagery releasedWeekly Report 25 (January 26, 2015) | Read the Report
• Jabhat Ansar al-Din and Jabhat al-Nusra cite Sharia Court sanction for destruction
• ISIL video showing deliberate destruction of religious sites in Iraq• Increasing evidence for deliberate destructions of religious heritage by ISILWeekly Report 24 (January 20, 2015) | Read the Report
• Tombs of Sheikh Mohammad Nabhan and his family destroyed in Aleppo
• Updated damage list posted by Ross Burns’ Monuments of Syria website
• Armenian Cathedral in Aleppo deliberately targeted by Islamic Front
• Unconfirmed reports of deliberate destructions in Mosul by ISIL• Tunnel bomb in Aleppo destroyed Khan at-Tutun and As-Sinjir MosqueWeekly Report 23 (January 12, 2015) | Read the Report
• Mausoleum of Imam Nawawi in Nawa destroyed by Jabhat al-Nusra• Tunnel bombs detonated in the Ancient City of AleppoWeekly Report 21–22 (January 5, 2015) | Read the Report
• DGAM publishes new report on heritage damage
• DGAM reports damage to Dura Europos
• DGAM may be over-attributing damage to looting• Militarization & damage to the Ancient City of PalmyraWeekly Report 20 (December 22, 2014) | Read the Report
• DGAM to implement inventory and remediation projects
• Combat damage in the Ancient City of Aleppo
• Destruction of Sufi shrines by ISIL
• Combat damage to the Madrasa Firdows in AleppoRead the ReportWeekly Report 19 (December 15, 2014)
Weekly Report 18 (December 8, 2014)
Weekly Report 16–17 (December 1, 2014)
Weekly Report 15 (November 17, 2014)
Weekly Report 14 (November 10, 2014)
Weekly Report 13 (November 3, 2014)
Weekly Report 12 (October 27, 2014)
Weekly Report 11 (October 20, 2014)
Weekly Report 10 (October 13, 2014)
Weekly Report 9 (October 6, 2014)
Weekly Report 8 (September 29, 2014)
Weekly Report 7 (September 22, 2014)
Weekly Report 6 (September 15, 2014)
Weekly Report 5 (September 8, 2014)
Weekly Report 4 (September 2, 2014)
Weekly Report 3 (August 25, 2014)
Weekly Report 2 (August 18, 2014)
Weekly Report 1 (August 11, 2014)
