STORY: Ancient Syrian city of Bosra struggles to preserve precious heritage
SHOOTING TIME: June 23, 2024
DATELINE: June 24, 2024
LENGTH: 00:04:05
LOCATION: BOSRA, Syria
CATEGORY: CULTURE

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the ancient city of Bosra
2. various of the theatre of Bosra
3. various of director of Bosra site explaining about the damage and restoration at the theatre
4. SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): ALAA AL-SALAH, Director of the Bosra Archaeological Site
5. various of the damages at the Bed of the King's Daughter archaeological site
6. SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): ALAA AL-SALAH, Director of the Bosra Archaeological Site
7. various of the damages at the Madrasat abu al-Fida archaeological site
8. various of director of the Bosra site working on his computer
9. SOUNDBITE 3 (Arabic): ALAA AL-SALAH, Director of the Bosra Archaeological Site

STORYLINE:

The ancient city of Bosra in southern Syria, a testament to civilizations spanning millennia, is locked in a new battle -- preserving the precious heritage from the ravage of yearslong war.
   
Enlisted in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Bosra's history dates back to 1500 BC. Today, the city boasts a well-preserved Roman theater, a panoramic citadel, and a unique mosque, alongside temples, baths, and ancient city walls.
   
But Syria's brutal war, which ravaged countless cultural treasures, left its mark on Bosra. Situated in the heart of the southern province of Daraa, the birthplace of the conflict, Bosra became a battleground. In 2012, UNESCO, recognizing the ongoing risk, placed Bosra on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
   
This designation stipulates the Syrian government to put in more effort to preserve the precious archaeological site and prolonged endangerment can lead to removal from the World Heritage Sites.
   
Since 2019, with the area secured, restoration efforts have begun. Al-Salah, who has overseen the site for 25 years, emphasized the urgency.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): ALAA AL-SALAH, Director of the Bosra Archaeological Site
"Since 2019, after the region turned into a safe area and the archaeological authority resumed its work in a real way, and the area became free of military and armed manifestations, work began on restoring the damage caused by the war. The priority was the theater and the castle, and a series of restoration works were carried out primarily aimed at removing the threat from the site, preserving the structural condition, saving the site, and rehabilitating it for visitation. The second goal was to remove Bosra from the list of endangered sites on the World Heritage List in order to preserve this feature that is important for this site."

Syria's antique authorities, hamstrung by limited resources and expertise, have prioritized the theater and the castle for restoration. While progress has been made, vast swathes of Bosra remain in ruin, a stark reminder of the conflict's brutality.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): ALAA AL-SALAH, Director of the Bosra Archaeological Site
"The issue requires greater effort, greater international cooperation, and more assistance, which we have not received, of course. These are local efforts and efforts by the General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums in terms of budgets and technical expertise."

Aside from the lack of financial resources, one of the main challenges was restrictions on international cooperation due to sanctions imposed by the United States and its Western allies, according to Al-Salah.

SOUNDBITE 3 (Arabic): ALAA AL-SALAH, Director of the Bosra Archaeological Site
"The obstacles and challenges to restoring and rehabilitating antiquities in Bosra have several reasons. The main reason is the issue of financial resources, as the lack of necessary financial resources for restoration. In addition, a lack of necessary technical expertise for the preparation and study of these projects and supervising them. Furthermore, the sanctions imposed on Syria since 2020 have affected the cultural sector and restoration operations, as no external organizations or foreign missions are allowed to enter due to this unjust law that has reached even our archaeological and cultural sites."   

The sanctions have crippled the cultural sector and restoration efforts, Al-Salah said, adding that "restrictions on foreign missions and organizations further hinder progress."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Bosra, Syria.
(XHTV)