An analytical study of the tasks of the directorates of antiquities, museums and intangible heritage in the presence of specialists and experts in the Al-Assad Library

Damascus-SANA

In implementation of the National Conference for Administrative Development to re-analyze the tasks of the General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums and the Directorate of Intangible Heritage, their mechanism of work and their interrelationship, the Ministry of Culture organized an event to discuss these issues for a number of persons and stakeholders.

During their interventions in the event hosted by the Al-Assad National Library, the participants pointed out the importance of the tangible and intangible heritage in the lives of peoples, especially the Syrian cultural heritage, which is rich in exceptional treasures, which the war on Syria tried to target and eradicate by all means and methods.

In her intervention, Minister of Culture Dr. Lubana Mushawah touched on the importance of tangible archaeological heritage and the need to preserve and protect it as it represents our identity, history and future, in addition to her review of cultural heritage in public laws and its current status in some Arab and foreign countries, in addition to the relationship of the intangible heritage element to the place and to international bodies such as UNESCO and ICOMOS.

In his intervention, Director General of Antiquities and Museums Nazir Awad reviewed the tasks of the Directorate, its work and the projects it undertakes to preserve heritage, in addition to the process of recovering artifacts that were smuggled abroad, as well as what government institutions and the Ministry of Interior are doing on this matter in cooperation with the Directorate of Antiquities and Museums, where about 35 A thousand artifacts were introduced to the National Museum in Damascus, in addition to restoration work on artifacts and historical and archaeological buildings that were damaged and evaluated in all sites.

The directorate has an important project, according to Awad, which is to automate and photograph artifacts in all museums to prepare digital lists of these pieces to protect them from any damage and theft, pointing out that this richness in archaeological material cultural heritage is explained by the enumeration of missions that numbered about 140 archaeological missions from countries of the world in addition to the presence of Research and studies published on archaeological sites and Syrian civilization, confirming their depth and exceptionality.

Awad pointed out in a statement to SANA that the tangible and archaeological heritage is protected by the Antiquities Law, which was issued in 1963 and took place in 1999. We are also waiting for the issuance of the new law, which has been working on for some time to manage the Syrian archaeological heritage due to its importance and exceptionality and the repercussions of the war.

Intangible Heritage Director Rola Aqili spoke in her intervention about the definition of this type and its types in accordance with the 2003 Convention issued by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the safeguarding of cultural heritage and the relationship between tangible and intangible heritage.

She pointed out that the Syrian intangible heritage was exposed to great danger in its five fields, whether oral, arts and traditions of performing performances, celebrations and holidays, in addition to crafts of all kinds as a result of the economic siege and the migration of expert labor, noting that all this heritage needs documentation and awareness of its importance to the Syrian citizen as it is our identity, history and future. which the war tried to eliminate.

Dr. Natalie Atfa at the Faculty of Architecture at Damascus University indicated in a statement to SANA that the event allows to identify multiple disciplines and establish dialogue between them so that we have a kind of coordination to understand the mechanisms of work of each ministry, pointing out that the tangible and intangible heritages are very important and interrelated issues of Where their types and practices or activities related to them and it is necessary to determine the function of the directorates related to them and the need to overcome problems and challenges, especially during and after the war related to human cadres and others.

It is noteworthy that the event was held in cooperation with the Ministry of Administrative Development and the Syrian Trust for Development, in the presence of the Ministers of Administrative Development, Dr. Salam Safaf and the state, to follow up on development projects in the southern region, Dr. Diala Barakat, and the Director of the Syrian Trust for Development, Faris Kallas, and a number of researchers and those interested in cultural and heritage affairs.

Shatha Hammoud