Heritage not for sale

This paper presents an overview of the Syrian antiquities which have been exposed to systematic vandalism. During the Syrian conflict, which enters its seventh year, large parts of the Syrian cultural heritage have been destroyed. There are many reasons behind this vandalism. Some of them are related to the religious ideologies caused by fundamentalist groups, while other are related to financial reasons, purely for profit. At the same time some of them are linked to distorting and falsifying a part of the Syrian history.

Despite the lack of many required information, this paper focuses on sites of Aleppo city, where they have been heavily damaged. It will also report all local and international scientific efforts that have been achieved in order to preserve the Syrian cultural heritage. This study will try to determine appropriate actions in order to limit this vandalism as well those which can be useful in the reconstructing and rebuilding phases after the war.