It is estimated that one-third of the buildings in Syria were destroyed during the seven years of the war, but a new battle is raging today between expatriate archeologists frustrated by the destruction of their country and the thieves on the ground who enjoy immunity.
The expert on the effects of the Middle East, Diana Dark in an article published on the site "Middle East" British to the looting by the bandits and elements of the "Shibha" (supporters of the regime) of the effects in Syria.
The writer said he recently hung a poster on buildings in the areas controlled by the regime forces in Aleppo, carrying the message that "together we will make the country more beautiful." But the message seems ambiguous, as it has not identified the parties responsible for reconstruction.
On the other hand, a group of gangs and young people, calling themselves the "Tiger Men," claim that they will play this role. It should be noted that the "tiger" is only General Suhail al-Hassan, which is considered by Russian President Vladimir Putin, the leader of the Syrian war of choice.
| This is the case of the ancient Umayyad Mosque (Al Jazeera) |
lowering the gaze
The renovation of Al-Akhal Mosque in Al-Jadida district in Aleppo is considered the last achievement of this collection. The mosque, which dates back to 1485, bears the green mortar which confirms that it was recently restored. A YouTube-based video documents this achievement and describes the group as "white hands."
In addition, the members of this group have reconstructed the nearby Fadila school and have set up a memorial to commemorate their achievements in the memory of future generations.
According to a local source, the Shabiba gangs have the freedom to do whatever they like. But many Aleppo residents harbor hatred for her, most of whom belong to the Alawite sect and the Turkmen Mardin, according to the writer Dark.
"It is clear that Bashar Assad's regime is unwilling or unable to rein in these gangs and has turned a blind eye to its looting. One of the residents told the Middle East A that there is a pyramid hierarchy to share the spoils, television sets for the officers, and refrigerators and washing machines are distributed to those who hold the middle grades, and wood and looted wire from abandoned houses is the lowest ranks.
The trucks loaded with spoils - a reward for their allegiance to the Assad regime - are roaming the city in the broad daylight, "he said.
The article said that the status occupied by Aleppo as a UNESCO World Heritage site did not protect it from the destruction of 2012. Large areas in central and eastern Aleppo were destroyed by aerial bombardments and explosions by the parties to the conflict.
| The ancient Haroun Dada Mosque in the Qadi Askar district of Aleppo, the old shelled regime (Al Jazeera) |
Corruption doubled
It is clear today that the only ongoing official reconstruction efforts are the restoration of the Great Umayyad Mosque in Aleppo, which is paying for the restoration of Putin's friend, Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov.
The reconstruction of the churches and cathedrals in the city was due to the close relationship between the priests and Patriarchs of the Syrian regime.
On the other hand, some homeowners promised to repair the damage after the fall of the city however the system was late in 2016, but state structures then began to reaffirm their role.
"Now it's worse than it was before the war, at least there was only one destination to get permission, and now there are five sides, each of which wants its share of the money," said one resident.
Citizens are trying to restore life. The streets of Jadida, the frontline of the conflict, were full of rubble, but the volunteers cleaned the streets painstakingly, a process the government quickly credited itself with.
On September 28, the government ordered an international tourist day at Al-Hatab Square - filmed by Al-Mayadeen, a pro-regime channel, as well as a Russian government channel - to show the world how Aleppo has returned to normal.
There is no room for restoration, and the risk is that this process is too costly to be the victim of bureaucratic stalemate, which impedes reconstruction, while the regime does not want communities to rebuild themselves, but wants society to remain fragmented for easy control When it is "dashing".
The joint cultural heritage could strengthen Syrian identity amid religious and ethnic divisions, becoming part of a national reconciliation process. It could also empower women who now outnumber men to rebuild their country's destructive bases.
Earlier this month, reports of two metric tons of looted remains discovered at the Tiger House in Damascus appeared.
Meanwhile, the Syrian team of architects in Berlin and other areas seem unable to intervene. All they can do is hope that there will be some Syrian cultural heritage to be salvaged, when the day comes when Syria can finally benefit from its digital archive.