(Reuters) – Syrian museums have locked away thousands of ancient treasures to protect them from looting and violence but one of humanity’s greatest cultural heritages remains in grave peril, the archaeologist charged with their protection said.
In a country which also boasts stunning Crusader castles, Roman ruins and a history stretching back through the great empires of the Middle East to the dawn of human civilization, the task of safeguarding that heritage from modern conflict is a daunting responsibility.
The greatest damage has been to a collection of seven old markets in Aleppo, unsurpassed in the Middle East, that were gutted by fire that also damaged the city’s Great Umayyad Mosque, Abdulkarim said.
