ASOR Syrian Heritage Initiative (SHI): Planning for Safeguarding Heritage Sites in Syria - Weekly Report 7 (September 22, 2014)

Weekly Report 7 encompasses September 17, 2014 to September 22, 2014. Also included are Incident Reports SHI 14-031, SHI 14-032, SHI 14-033, SHI 14-034, and SHI 14-035.

This report contains a Heritage Timeline describing events involving the destruction of heritage sites in Syria. Cultural heritage in Aleppo and in northern Aleppo Governate continues to be at high risk of destruction given the intensity of fighting in these areas and the risks posed by Islamic State’s ongoing intentional destructions of tombs, shrines, mosques, and other monuments and artifacts. IS territorial gains in Kurdish areas around Ayn al-­‐Arab/Kobani place increasing numbers of monuments at risk of intentional destruction and jeopardizes archaeological sites and cultural property over a vast area. IS access to border crossing into Turkey would likely result in increased trafficking of looted antiquities and stolen cultural property. Regime and Opposition groups continue to report on looting and other cultural heritage damage, particularly incidents occurring in territory controlled by their opponents.