The last refuge? Zaatari camp art preserves Palmyra and Syria's lost treasures

Published May 26th, 2015 - 09:23 GMT

When a team of young Syrian artists living in Jordan's Zaatari refugee camp set out to preserve the rich cultural heritage of their besieged homeland, they had no idea the sites would be wiped out by war, or how prescient their project would prove to be.

The group began a project last year to create a gallery of paintings and models of the growing roster of at-risk antiquities, hoping that refugee parents living in the camp would view the exhibition and share their triggered memories with their children.

According to UNESCO, at least five of Syria's six World Heritage sites have been irreparably damaged after clashes among Daesh (ISIS), rebels and Assad regime forces.

More than half of the 80,000 refugees in Zaatari, the world’s second-largest refugee camp, are under 17 years old, according to the World Health Organization. Since most of the population is too young to remember much about the nation their families fled, the project would bring some of Syria’s history to life.

The artists are members of “Art from Za'atari,” a camp club for young refugees organized by NGO International Relief and Development. Many are former art students and teachers whose careers were derailed by civil war.

Al Bawaba brought you news of these guys when they held a two-week art exhibit in Amman last August.

Take a look at what they are doing to teach their youngest about the culture nearly lost in battle.

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Artist- Iyad-Sabegh-Zaatari-Camp-2015-Palmyra-Art

Artist Iyad Sabegh stands in front of a small metal caravan that serves as the group’s studio and storage locker, where he was in process of tagging it with a vibrantly colored mural. The unit was provided by NGO International Relief and Development and sits alongside a library and theater that also doubles as an auditorium.

Zaatari-Camp-Children-IRD-art-palmyra-2015

The IRD workspace is small. It serves mainly as a storage space for artwork and supplies, but the artists also use it as a studio. Hordes of children prowl the caravan, aware of the fun paint and painters that are inside. When there is a large turnout of artists, they move to the adjacent theater that comfortably fits 1,000 people.

Deir-ez-Zor-suspension-bridge-euphrates-river-zaatari-camp-art-palmyra-2015

The Deir ez-Zor suspension bridge was built in 1927 to allow pedestrians in this northeastern Syrian city to cross the Euphrates River. This painting was recreated from images downloaded online.

Deir-ez-zor-suspension-bridge-syria-euphrates-river-zaatari-camp-art-palmyra-2015

The bridge, which connected the southern Levant with northern Upper Mesopotamia, was destroyed by Free Syrian Army militia during May 2013. This model is crafted from donated wood, cardboard and twine.

Bosra-al-sham-citadel-roman-theater-zaatari-camp-art-palmyra-2015

Bosra al-Sham is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its historic citadel, ruins and well-preserved Roman theater. Located ten kilometers from the Jordanian border, it was once the capital of the Roman province of Arabia and a popular stopover on caravan routes to Mecca.

Bosra-al-sham-citadel-roman-theater-painting-zaatari-camp-art-palmyra-2015

President Bashar al-Assad's troops had a stronghold on Bosra al-Sham for four years of civil war before the city was captured by rebels in March. The theater and citadel are reportedly undamaged, but the hospital was leveled and there was heavy damage in other parts of the town.

Umayyad-mosque-UNESCO-world-heritage-site-Aleppo-Old-City-zaatari-camp-art-palmyra-2015

The centerpiece of Aleppo's walled Old City was the Umayyad Mosque, another UNESCO World Heritage Site, destroyed by shelling in 2013 with blame shared by Assad's government and the rebels trying to overthrow him. Built between the eighth and 13th centuries, it allegedly housed the remains of John the Baptist's father.

Umayyad-mosque-painting-UNESCO-world-heritage-site-Aleppo-Old-City-zaatari-camp-art-palmyra-2015

Helga Seeden, archaeology professor at American University of Beirut told the Associated Press, "This is like blowing up the Taj Mahal or destroying the Acropolis. This mosque is a living sanctuary.” The minaret collapsed in March 2013 as a result of shelling, a destruction on par with the loss of Big Ben from the London skyline.

Citadel-Syria-zaatari-camp-art-palmyra-2015

A 2500 BC cuneiform text first described a hilltop shrine to the god Hadda on a rock mound looming over Aleppo. The hill was exploited for its military might from 300 BC and served as a city defense until a 1822 earthquake reduced the fortress to ruins. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986, full damages can't be assessed until war ends.

Jonathan Steel wrote in the Guardian, “The great citadel of Aleppo has the grim distinction of being the world’s only ancient fortress that is back in action today as a garrison and artillery battery in the midst of war.” Assad loyalists holed up in the ancient arsenal to battle enemies below, as though the Middle Ages never ended.

horse-rider-painting-zaatari-camp-art-palmyra-2015

The great Muslim leader Saladin (born in 1138 as Salah al-Din Yusuf) is remembered as a chivalrous warrior who fought fair. Unlike the murderous Crusaders, when Saladin captured Jerusalem in 1187 at the Battle of Hattin he allowed inhabitants to leave the city safely. Statues of Saladin can be found across the Middle East.

horse-rider-sculpture-zaatari-camp-art-palmyra-2015

According to the History Channel, Saladin’s reputation for generosity and commitment to the higher principles of a holy war have been idealized by not only Muslim sources but also many Westerners including Dante, who placed him in the company of Hector, Aeneas, and Caesar as a “virtuous pagan.”

ruins-painting-zaatari-camp-art-palmyra-2015

ISIS took control of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria’s western province of Homs in May, murdering hundreds and threatening to destroy the ancient city. Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was an ancient cultural crossroad city founded over 2,000 years ago. Its art and architecture unites Greek, Roman and Persian influences.

palernosters-water-wheel-painting-zaatari-camp-art-palmyra-2015

The shores of the Orontes River in the city of Hama are lined with 17 ancient water wheels (norias). Hama's norias precede the Ayyubid period (1169–93), when Saladin ruled. The largest wheel has a diameter of 21 meters.

After five days of intense fighting, rebel fighters took over Bosra al-Sham on March 25. UNESCO has been tracking damage within this southern Syrian town, and reported that the ancient Nabatiyeh city gate was still standing.

Nabatiyeh-gate-syria-zaatari-camp-art-palmyra-2015

One of the oldest members of the Zaatari art club is a trained sculptor. He crafted this replica of the Nabatiyeh Gate from a rock salvaged from the Zaatari camp compound. Using plaster of Paris formed on top of Styrofoam bases, he recreates architectural elements of key historical buildings. The collection is growing.

Artist Iyad Sabegh stands in front of a small metal caravan that serves as the group’s studio and storage locker, where he was in process of tagging it with a vibrantly colored mural. The unit was provided by NGO International Relief and Development and sits alongside a library and theater that also doubles as an auditorium.

The IRD workspace is small. It serves mainly as a storage space for artwork and supplies, but the artists also use it as a studio. Hordes of children prowl the caravan, aware of the fun paint and painters that are inside. When there is a large turnout of artists, they move to the adjacent theater that comfortably fits 1,000 people.

The Deir ez-Zor suspension bridge was built in 1927 to allow pedestrians in this northeastern Syrian city to cross the Euphrates River. This painting was recreated from images downloaded online.

The bridge, which connected the southern Levant with northern Upper Mesopotamia, was destroyed by Free Syrian Army militia during May 2013. This model is crafted from donated wood, cardboard and twine.

Bosra al-Sham is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its historic citadel, ruins and well-preserved Roman theater. Located ten kilometers from the Jordanian border, it was once the capital of the Roman province of Arabia and a popular stopover on caravan routes to Mecca.

President Bashar al-Assad's troops had a stronghold on Bosra al-Sham for four years of civil war before the city was captured by rebels in March. The theater and citadel are reportedly undamaged, but the hospital was leveled and there was heavy damage in other parts of the town.

The centerpiece of Aleppo's walled Old City was the Umayyad Mosque, another UNESCO World Heritage Site, destroyed by shelling in 2013 with blame shared by Assad's government and the rebels trying to overthrow him. Built between the eighth and 13th centuries, it allegedly housed the remains of John the Baptist's father.

Helga Seeden, archaeology professor at American University of Beirut told the Associated Press, "This is like blowing up the Taj Mahal or destroying the Acropolis. This mosque is a living sanctuary.” The minaret collapsed in March 2013 as a result of shelling, a destruction on par with the loss of Big Ben from the London skyline.

A 2500 BC cuneiform text first described a hilltop shrine to the god Hadda on a rock mound looming over Aleppo. The hill was exploited for its military might from 300 BC and served as a city defense until a 1822 earthquake reduced the fortress to ruins. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986, full damages can't be assessed until war ends.

Jonathan Steel wrote in the Guardian, “The great citadel of Aleppo has the grim distinction of being the world’s only ancient fortress that is back in action today as a garrison and artillery battery in the midst of war.” Assad loyalists holed up in the ancient arsenal to battle enemies below, as though the Middle Ages never ended.

The great Muslim leader Saladin (born in 1138 as Salah al-Din Yusuf) is remembered as a chivalrous warrior who fought fair. Unlike the murderous Crusaders, when Saladin captured Jerusalem in 1187 at the Battle of Hattin he allowed inhabitants to leave the city safely. Statues of Saladin can be found across the Middle East.

According to the History Channel, Saladin’s reputation for generosity and commitment to the higher principles of a holy war have been idealized by not only Muslim sources but also many Westerners including Dante, who placed him in the company of Hector, Aeneas, and Caesar as a “virtuous pagan.”

ISIS took control of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria’s western province of Homs in May, murdering hundreds and threatening to destroy the ancient city. Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was an ancient cultural crossroad city founded over 2,000 years ago. Its art and architecture unites Greek, Roman and Persian influences.

The shores of the Orontes River in the city of Hama are lined with 17 ancient water wheels (norias). Hama's norias precede the Ayyubid period (1169–93), when Saladin ruled. The largest wheel has a diameter of 21 meters.

After five days of intense fighting, rebel fighters took over Bosra al-Sham on March 25. UNESCO has been tracking damage within this southern Syrian town, and reported that the ancient Nabatiyeh city gate was still standing.

One of the oldest members of the Zaatari art club is a trained sculptor. He crafted this replica of the Nabatiyeh Gate from a rock salvaged from the Zaatari camp compound. Using plaster of Paris formed on top of Styrofoam bases, he recreates architectural elements of key historical buildings. The collection is growing.

The last refuge? Zaatari camp art preserves Palmyra and Syria's lost treasures

The Deir ez-Zor suspension bridge was built in 1927 to allow pedestrians in this northeastern Syrian city to cross the Euphrates River. This painting was recreated from images downloaded online.

The bridge, which connected the southern Levant with northern Upper Mesopotamia, was destroyed by Free Syrian Army militia during May 2013. This model is crafted from donated wood, cardboard and twine.

Bosra al-Sham is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its historic citadel, ruins and well-preserved Roman theater. Located ten kilometers from the Jordanian border, it was once the capital of the Roman province of Arabia and a popular stopover on caravan routes to Mecca.

President Bashar al-Assad's troops had a stronghold on Bosra al-Sham for four years of civil war before the city was captured by rebels in March. The theater and citadel are reportedly undamaged, but the hospital was leveled and there was heavy damage in other parts of the town.

The shores of the Orontes River in the city of Hama are lined with 17 ancient water wheels (norias). Hama's norias precede the Ayyubid period (1169–93), when Saladin ruled. The largest wheel has a diameter of 21 meters.

After five days of intense fighting, rebel fighters took over Bosra al-Sham on March 25. UNESCO has been tracking damage within this southern Syrian town, and reported that the ancient Nabatiyeh city gate was still standing.

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