Damascus, May 25 (SANA) Syria’s General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums announced Monday that nine Syrian heritage sites were inscribed on the heritage list of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), marking the country’s return to the registry after a 14-year hiatus.
According to a statement published Monday on the Directorate’s official Facebook page, the newly registered sites include the Citadel of Salah Ed-Din in Latakia, coastal Syria; the Umayyad Mosque, Al-Azm Palace and Anbar Office in Damascus, southern Syria; the Citadel of Damascus; Al-Omari Mosque in Daraa, southern Syria; the archaeological site of Apamea in Hama, central Syria; the Waqf Library in Aleppo, northwest Syria; and the archaeological site of Al-Lajat in Daraa.
The Directorate said the sites hold historical, architectural and symbolic significance, being among Syria’s most prominent archaeological landmarks and living witnesses to successive periods of Syrian history.
The statement added that the inclusion comes within the framework of national efforts aimed at protecting and preserving Syrian heritage and strengthening cultural and technical cooperation with ICESCO.
The Directorate said the move could contribute to increasing international attention toward Syrian heritage sites, particularly amid challenges facing cultural heritage preservation.
The registration of the nine sites represents a new step toward restoring the presence of Syrian heritage on international cultural maps and reinforcing its status as part of the cultural memory of the region and the world.
Syria is already home to six UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the Ancient Cities of Damascus and Aleppo, the ancient city of Bosra, the site of Palmyra, the Crac des Chevaliers and Qal’at Salah El-Din castles, and the Ancient Villages of Northern Syria, also known as the “Dead Cities.”
ICESCO, established in 1982 under the umbrella of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, specializes in education, science and culture. The organization adopts Arabic, French and English as its official languages and is headquartered in Rabat.
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