Preservation of heritage sites: what happens in the aftermath of a catastrophe?

Questions must be asked, too, about the preservation of historic sites: in addition to the human tragedy, the damage to cultural heritage has been incalculable, not least because the impacted area incorporates the historic areas of Mesopotamia and the Fertile Crescent.

A spokesperson for conservation and heritage organisation Icomos [International Council on Monuments and Sites] Turkey said: “We are still grieving the great loss of life. Now the work to clear the debris has started, we are concerned to safeguard the remains of heritage buildings. Settlements such as Antakya are built on layers and layers of history.”

What has been damaged in Turkey and Syria?

The ancient cities of Antakya (known in the distant past as Antioch), Şanlıurfa (Edessa) and Malatya (Melitene) in Turkey, as well as Aleppo in Syria – and many more sites in both countries – have been stricken by the disaster. The first images to spread online of damage to a heritage site were of the dramatic collapse of Gaziantep Castle (seen above), built by Romans and expanded by civilisations including the Byzantines, Ayyubids and Ottomans.

Yet the collapse of that bastion is just one example of the significant damage done to many historically important sites around the region. The minaret by the historic fish pools of Abraham in Şanlıurfa has partially collapsed, the pools polluted with rubble and other impurities, their clear waters turned murky. The dome of the Yeni mosque of Malatya has fallen.

Against the odds, the city’s Hatay Archaeological Museum survives nearly intact: there is hope for the collections preserved inside. Armed guards are protecting it from looters

In Antakya, meanwhile, whole sections of the city have been flattened. The city’s Greek Orthodox church is an unrecognisable pile of stones under which treasures are buried. The minaret of the Habib’i Neccar Mosque has shattered into many pieces, the fragments strewn across the cracked courtyard, the tomb of the martyr so far unaccounted for. Against the odds, the city’s Hatay Archaeological Museum survives nearly intact: there is hope for the collections preserved inside.

Those working to assess and tackle these problems face various challenges. A three-month state of emergency has been enforced in the Turkish provinces hit by the earthquakes, making it difficult for heritage organisations to access the sites they wish to preserve. Armed guards are protecting Hatay Archaeology Museum from looters – but also potentially restricting access to heritage workers and journalists.

What is the protocol for the preservation of cultural heritage?

Several international organisations work on this issue. The foremost of these is Unesco, which often partners with other organisations to carry out its work – for example, Icomos and UN research and training agency Unitar. In situations such as this, affecting such a wide region and scope, Unesco’s approach needs to be multifaceted.

So far, Unesco’s spokespeople have confirmed that the agency is taking steps to respond to the crisis, noting that it is “actively engaged in finding emergency solutions within the scope of [its] mandate – culture, education and access to information”.

One of the first steps that Unesco and its partners must take is compiling intelligence on the structures that have been damaged, making use of experts on the ground and satellite images to conduct initial surveys. It was a relief when the brutal weather in the affected region – the snow, rain and freezing cold that had hampered rescue efforts – finally cleared. That was vital for the sake of the survivors and rescuers, of course, but was also important because it made satellite images easier to interpret, improving understanding of damage to heritage sites.

Ten days after the 6 February earthquakes, Unesco detected cracks and fallen stones in the crusader fortress of Krak des Chevaliers in northern Syria, and extensive damage to the 13th-century citadel of Aleppo, including the collapse of one of its towers and heavy deterioration of its walls. The stability of several heritage buildings in the old city of Aleppo is also questionable.

Historic value is, of course, taken into account, but so too is the value to the local community. A functioning historic mosque would likely rank higher, for instance, than a section of a city wall

Unesco will monitor current and progressing damage, surveying the cracks’ severity using specially dispatched teams of structural engineers. In situations like these, such cracks need to be monitored carefully. Even fissures that look superficial often run deep and can spread, destabilising entire structures.

Unesco’s next step is to build a mission – to assess, protect and conserve not only the tangible heritage, but also the culture sector, the creative sector and local communities, all of which will have suffered damage. They must also decide which buildings to prioritise.

Historic value is, of course, taken into account, but so too is the value to the local community. A functioning historic mosque would likely rank higher, for instance, than a section of a city wall. Unesco is well practised in the area of emergency response, and the preservation of cultural heritage in war-torn and disaster-stricken regions forms a core part of its work.

Where are some of the other places that Unesco is present?

In addition to responding to this disaster, the agency has undertaken major works to rebuild the culture of Mosul in northern Iraq following its destructive occupation by the group calling itself Islamic State. It is also playing an active role in the preservation of Ukrainian cultural heritage in the wake of the ongoing conflict there.

In that nation, Unesco and other international agencies and NGOs actively work to support cultural institutions, helping them protect their collections in times of crisis, advising on the most practical way to maintain consistent temperatures in the absence of heating systems, and assisting with maintaining security when the power is out and guards are scarce.

To address the difficulties of doing this, and to maintain surveillance and security systems, Unesco dispatched dozens of generators to cultural institutions in Ukraine in 2022. Another priority in such situations is taking accurate inventories to ensure that every object of cultural and historic value is accounted for.

Are response strategies for war the same as natural disasters?

Following either the outbreak of war or a natural disaster, response strategies are similar. In either situation, human life is the first priority. Heritage organisations step in at a later stage, when their work will not hinder search and rescue efforts or provisions being made for the basic safety and needs of affected populations.

One of the main challenges affecting responses to cultural threats in times of crisis is the attitude of local governments. Some regimes only care about preserving heritage that fits with their political agenda, or would rather bulldoze and conceal damaged monuments rather than acknowledge the loss and invest in restoration. More diligent leaders, however, must look to the future, and remember the importance of the past.

The aim is not simply to preserve old towers, but to safeguard cultural identity and guard centuries of history for future generations. Intangible heritage is no less valuable than the tangible, even if it is harder to quantify than stones.

Katherine Pangonis is a historian and writer, specialising in the medieval world of the Mediterranean and Middle East. Her books include Queens of Jerusalem: The Women who Dared to Rule (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2021)

This article was first published in the February 2023 issue of BBC History Magazine