ICOMOS Syria Launches Photo Exhibition Documenting Architectural Heritage
The National Committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS Syria), in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture’s Directorate of Fine Arts, has announced the results of its nationwide photography competition. The initiative culminated in an exhibition held at the National Museum in Damascus, showcasing approximately 60 photographs selected from a large pool of entries. The exhibition aims to draw attention to the architectural and historical legacy preserved across Syrian provinces.
ICOMOS Syria President Mouaffaq Daghman stated that the competition saw broad participation from youth who used their lenses to capture the country’s cultural and civilizational wealth. He emphasized that the primary goal of the initiative is to strengthen the role of young people in advocating for and protecting their heritage, while simultaneously highlighting Syria’s civilizational contributions to the world. Daghman noted that a joint jury selected the top three winning photographs from Damascus, Aleppo, and Daraa. He further affirmed the organization’s commitment to launching similar programs and events in cooperation with regional and international partners, with a specific focus on restoring and rehabilitating heritage sites based on scientific standards.
For his part, Waseem Abdel Hamid, Director of the Ministry of Culture’s Directorate of Fine Arts, indicated that this collaboration is part of the ministry’s broader strategy to raise awareness about the importance of Syrian heritage through visual arts. He explained that the directorate intends to establish the competition as an annual tradition, with plans to expand its scope and participation in the future. Abdel Hamid underscored the power of photography as a vital document for preserving identity and collective memory in the face of ongoing changes.
The event also featured a lecture by Dr. Mahmoud Zein Al-Abidin, a professor of architecture, who focused on the role of community memory in safeguarding architectural heritage. Dr. Zein Al-Abidin presented practical case studies illustrating the necessity of photographic archives as essential references for restoration and rehabilitation processes. He cited his own project, “Aleppo: Between Yesterday and Today, Toward the Future,” as an example; the project relies on comparing archival historical photographs with current scenes to document structural transformations and maintain the character of historic cities.
Architect Karam Muhandis, one of the competition winners, highlighted the importance of bridging the gap between younger generations and heritage through visual documentation. His winning entries focused on historic landmarks in Aleppo, including the Citadel and traditional heritage houses. Such efforts aim to reconnect youth with their historical sites following years of destruction and disconnection. Through this visual archive, which will be integrated into digital databases, ICOMOS Syria seeks to boost the global presence of Syrian landmarks and ensure the documentation of sites that might otherwise be overlooked.
Source: Syria Focus Arabic
