Looting the past. Syria's cultural heritage under attack: another Iraq?

Historic monuments bombed during the fighting between rebels and Syrian army, archaeological sites occupied by military bases or threatened by illicit excavations and museums left vulnerable to looting and devastation. In a journey through the disasters of the ongoing civil war, Paolo Brusasco narrates the pillage of Syria’s glorious past and the shattering of its historical memory. So called the “crossroad of ancient cultures”, the country’s history reflects the main steps of the evolution of mankind, from the introduction of early agriculture to the emergence of urban societies. By comparing Syria’s cultural devastation to the Iraqi example, the author tries to show how in both cases monuments and historical sites are appropriated on all sides because of their symbolic value and political relevance. A final section is devoted to the social study of ancient Syrian houses in order to keep alive the memory of Syria’s cultural heritage.