The South African Civil Society Information Service

Syrian War Leaves Ancient Art Endangered

28 Oct 2014

In March 2001, the Taliban destroyed the Buddhas of Bamiyan, 6th century statues carved into the rock in Afghanistan. Today the war in Syria is putting valuable cultural artefacts under threat. Lisa Ackerman, Executive Vice President of The World Monuments Fund, talks about how the current Syrian civil crisis has caused catastrophic destruction to the old city Aleppo and left its antiquities in the hands of looters. Most tragically, basalt relief sculptures unearthed in the Temple of the Storm God, which date back from the third to the second millennium B.C., appear to have been destroyed.

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Editor's Note: You might also be interested in Syrian Conflict Imperils Historical Treasures published by the New York Times and Bit By Bit, Afghanistan Rebuilds Buddhist Statues published by NPR.

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