Homs-Sana
The work of the project to document the elements of the Syrian intangible heritage in the old Homs, which is implemented by the Ministry of Culture in cooperation with the Syrian Trust for Development and Civil Society, to preserve the elements of this heritage and preserve it for future generations, was launched in the Directorate of Culture of Homs today.
The three-month project aims to document and identify the elements of the intangible cultural heritage in the old city of Homs, and to prepare documentation lists that include the various classifications of the elements of this heritage, while preserving the cultural diversity in the city in light of the circumstances that targeted its identity as a result of the fierce war and improving the response of cultural institutions The project, and raising the awareness of local communities of the importance of intangible heritage.
The project will target communities that carry and practice intangible heritage in seven neighborhoods of old Homs, mainly communities, or individuals who are expected to have information about heritage, such as mukhtars, the elderly, owners of crafts, cultural centers, and others.
It was pointed out during the project’s work that Homs is rich in intangible cultural heritage, as it was known for qadud, muwashahat, songs, chants, arada, and traditional rituals, including the Khamisat al-Halawa and others.
Regarding the project and its objectives, Sherine Naddaf from the Living Heritage Program at the Syrian Trust for Development explained in an interview with SANA that the project is based on an inventory of the intangible cultural heritage elements in Old Homs, where associations active in the cultural field and who have experiences in the field of heritage, such as Mada Cultural Project and the Association, were referred to. The Historical Society and the Syrian Developmental Wafa Association, in addition to cadres in the Directorate of Culture.
Naddaf indicated that a team of twenty-two of them was formed to train them on the mechanisms of heritage preservation and documentation adopted at the local and international levels, leading to the process of documenting and preserving these elements in the old Homs, especially after what it was exposed to as a result of the war, so it was careful and expedited to preserve what was left of these elements.
Naddaf added: The first phase of the project targets the city, and based on the results, the second project will be launched towards the countryside, extending to the ancient city of Palmyra.
She pointed out that the results of sorting survey and documentation elements will be categorized into approved lists of intangible cultural heritage, according to Article 2 of the Heritage Preservation Convention, which identifies different types of heritage. Then it was officially stamped and approved, and added to the national registry as an official documentation list for the city of Homs.
In turn, Mazina Toami from the Directorate of Intangible Heritage at the Ministry of Culture explained that Homs was chosen as the second governorate after Tartous to complete the project, which will later target the rest of the governorates, pointing out that the ministry is working in an integrated manner as a government agency in cooperation with the Syrian Trust for Development and the local community to spread awareness of intangible heritage, which constitutes The identity of the Syrian society, and part of its civilization, must be documented, made known to future generations, and what has become of it must be restored.
Hanan Sweid
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