Activists to Save Syria's Cultural History
<p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="museum">museum</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Syrian">Syrian</span> <span word="town">town</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Maarat">Maarat</span> <span word="al">al</span>-<span word="Numan">Numan</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="well">well</span>-<span word="known">known</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="ancient">ancient</span> <span word="Roman">Roman</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Byzantine">Byzantine</span> <span word="mosaics">mosaics</span>,<span word="mosaics">mosaics</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="now">now</span> <span word="hidden">hidden</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="view">view</span>, <span word="indefinitely">indefinitely</span>.</p><p><span word="They">They</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="wrapped">wrapped</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="sandbagged">sandbagged</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="volunteers">volunteers</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="working">working</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="preserve">preserve</span> <span word="Syria">Syria</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="history">history</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="destruction">destruction</span> <span word="caused">caused</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="country">country</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="civil">civil</span> <span word="war">war</span>.</p><p>"<span word="It">It</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="territory">territory</span> <span word="controlled">controlled</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="opposition">opposition</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="government">government</span> <span word="regularly">regularly</span> <span word="barrel">barrel</span>-<span word="bombs">bombs</span> <span word="it">it</span>," <span word="he">he</span> <span word="said">said</span>.</p><p><span word="Syrian">Syrian</span> <span word="opposition">opposition</span> <span word="member">member</span> <span word="Amr">Amr</span> <span word="Al">Al</span>-<span word="Azm">Azm</span>, <span word="says">says</span> <span word="government">government</span> <span word="forces">forces</span> <span word="launched">launched</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="assault">assault</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Maarat">Maarat</span> <span word="al">al</span>-<span word="Numan">Numan</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="long">long</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="mosaics">mosaics</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="sandbagged">sandbagged</span>.</p><p><span word="Al">Al</span>-<span word="Azm">Azm</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="director">director</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Syria">Syria</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="Science">Science</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Conservation">Conservation</span> <span word="Laboratories">Laboratories</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="taught">taught</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="University">University</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Damascus">Damascus</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="fell">fell</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="favor">favor</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Syrian">Syrian</span> <span word="regime">regime</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="left">left</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="country">country</span> <span word="before">before</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="civil">civil</span> <span word="war">war</span> <span word="began">began</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="concern">concern</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="Syria">Syria</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="past">past</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="future">future</span>, <span word="did">did</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="end">end</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="left">left</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="country">country</span>.</p><p>"<span word="We">We</span> <span word="started">started</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="try">try</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="see">see</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="anything">anything</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="reduce">reduce</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="damage">damage</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="possible">possible</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="importantly">importantly</span>, <span word="document">document</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="damage">damage</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="already">already</span> <span word="done">done</span>," <span word="he">he</span> <span word="said">said</span>.</p><p><span word="From">From</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="computer">computer</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="Shawnee">Shawnee</span> <span word="State">State</span>, <span word="Al">Al</span>-<span word="Azm">Azm</span> <span word="coordinates">coordinates</span> <span word="preservation">preservation</span> <span word="efforts">efforts</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="network">network</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="colleagues">colleagues</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="former">former</span> <span word="students">students</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="remain">remain</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Syria">Syria</span>. <span word="They">They</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="eyes">eyes</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="ears">ears</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ground">ground</span>, <span word="while">while</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="documents">documents</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="compiles">compiles</span> <span word="reports">reports</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="destruction">destruction</span>, <span word="remotely">remotely</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="Maarat">Maarat</span> <span word="al">al</span>-<span word="Numan">Numan</span> <span word="museum">museum</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="example">example</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="thousands">thousands</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Middle">Middle</span> <span word="East">East</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="archaeologists">archaeologists</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="concerned">concerned</span> <span word="about">about</span>. <span word="While">While</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="museum">museum</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="mosaics">mosaics</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="saved">saved</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="permanent">permanent</span> <span word="destruction">destruction</span>, <span word="many">many</span> <span word="sites">sites</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="risk">risk</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="easily">easily</span> <span word="accessible">accessible</span>, <span word="including">including</span> <span word="those">those</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="places">places</span> <span word="controlled">controlled</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="Islamic">Islamic</span> <span word="State">State</span>, <span word="where">where</span> <span word="militants">militants</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="already">already</span> <span word="looted">looted</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="destroyed">destroyed</span> <span word="important">important</span> <span word="historic">historic</span> <span word="sites">sites</span>.</p>
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