The Syrian conflict’s impact on architectural heritage: challenges and complexities in conservation planning and practice

ABSTRACT When armed conflicts devastate a country, its architectural heritage suffers. Its recovery is a multifaceted problem. This paper explores the architectural conservation challenges and complexities in conflict-ravaged Syria through in-depth interviews with Syrian heritage officials, practitioners, and experts. Analysis of the interviews and observations in the field has revealed the significant domestic challenges, threats, and weaknesses in the post-conflict recovery of built heritage. Syria shares characteristics with other post-conflict societies, especially the lack of financial and human resources, which are vital for efficient post-conflict conservation planning. However, Syria is also challenged by a diversity of domestic issues relating to the deficiencies in its heritage management and legislation systems. These include, among others, weaknesses in the preservation legislation, lack of archival records/documentation of the pre-destruction state of built heritage, inadequacies of the skilled workforce, and inefficient coordination and collaboration between the stakeholders. The article shows how improving the local heritage management capacity and infrastructure during peacetime is the key to an effective recovery in the aftermath of human or natural catastrophes. Doing so would reduce the uncertainty of depending on global aid and resources, which are scarce and politically complicated to access.