Satellite Reveals Destruction Of Syrian Heritage Sites

Valuable cultural sites in Syria – some of which are more than 7,000 years old – have been "significantly" damaged by the country's civil war, satellite image analysis has revealed.



A UN agency, UNOSAT/UNITAR, released satellite imagery on Tuesday showing the level of destruction to historic structures, ancient mosques and castles across the country, including UNESCO World Heritage sites.



Almost 300 locations of cultural value have been seriously affected due to the ongoing crisis in Syria over the past three years, according to the report released by the UN agency in Geneva.



"Areas such as Aleppo, where settlements have been in place for over 7,000 years, Damascus, Crac des Chevaliers, Raqqa and Palmyra have all been exposed to major damage," the report said.



"The review of 18 culturally and archaeologically areas in Syria showed a total of 24 destroyed, 104 severely damaged, 83 moderately damaged, and 77 possibly damaged locations," it added.



Aleppo 'worst affected'



The northern city of Aleppo, one of the oldest continuously occupied cities in the world with some 7,000 years of known settlement history, is one of the worst affected metropolitan areas nationwide, the report said.



Aleppo was included on the UNESCO World Heritage Property List due to its prominent location on the crossroads of several trade routes from the second millennium onwards.



The analysis has identified 22 destroyed structures; 48 others were severely damaged and 43 moderately damaged in the ancient city.



The Great Umayyad Mosque is just one of the worst affected monuments in Aleppo.



Originally founded in 715 AD, and one of the oldest mosques in the world, its minaret was destroyed during fighting in 2013.



www.aa.com.tr/en - Cenevre