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Looting a Growing Problem in Post-Mubarak Egypt

May 16, 2012

With its first post-Mubarak presidential election just days away, Egypt’s political turmoil has been the focus of global headlines for well over a year. Since the popular uprising in January 2011, instability and a lack of security have plagued the country’s heritage sites, not only in terms of tourism, but looting as well.

Tags: Africa, Egypt, Great Pyramids, Looting, Middle East, Political Instability

Across the Wire

Turkey Increases Pressure on International Museums to Return Antiquities

April 11, 2012

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The grand opening of what Turkey plans to be the “biggest museum in the world” may be more than a decade away (the republic celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2023), but the country’s government appears eager to recover what it says are illegally excavated antiquities from institutions around the world.

Tags: Allianoi, Europe, Hasankeyf, Looting, Middle East, Turkey

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New York Times Reports on Squatters at Iraq’s Heritage Sites

March 26, 2012

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Last week we wrote about the return of foreign archaeologists to Iraq, where much of the country’s ancient treasures remain buried and unexplored. Among the difficulties now facing heritage authorities is how to deal with Iraqis who have taken up residence among the ruins.

Tags: Development Pressures, Iraq, Looting, Middle East, New York Times, Nineveh, Saving Our Vanishing Heritage

Across the Wire

Leaked Government Memo Warns of Organized Looting in Syria

March 21, 2012

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Looting is not a new problem for Syrian cultural authorities. Despite harsh punishments doled out to offenders (up to 20 years in prison), gangs of looters have operated in the country for years, smuggling artifacts over the border to satisfy antiquities markets in Europe and the US. But a government memo leaked earlier this month suggests that the current conflict has put Syrian cultural sites at an even greater danger of organized looting.

Tags: Looting, Middle East, Palmyra, Syria, War and Conflict

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Troops Leave, Archaeologists Return, as Hope for Iraq’s Cultural Relics and Tourism Industry Grow

March 20, 2012

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On December 17th, the same day the last U.S. troops left Iraq, a group of archaeologists from Stony Brook University arrived in the country, becoming one of the first foreign archaeology teams to visit in more than 20 years.

Tags: Excavation, Global Heritage Network, Iraq, Middle East, Tourism, Ur, War and Conflict

Across the Wire

Palestine to Submit 20 Sites for UNESCO World Heritage Site Nomination

March 08, 2012

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On its first day as a full-fledged UNESCO member state, Palestinian officials wasted no time announcing plans to submit the names of 20 sites in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza for nomination to the World Heritage List.

Tags: Hisham’s Palace, Khirbat al Mafjar, Middle East, Palestine, UNESCO

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Pakistan Promises to Protect Kalash Culture

March 05, 2012

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The Kalash are a unique tribal community living in the Hindu Kush mountain range, in Pakistan’s wild northwest frontier. A popular tale tells of their descent from members of Alexander the Great’s army, which tore through the mountains more than 2,000 years ago. DNA tests have apparently found no actual connection, but the myth has persisted well enough to play a key role in Kalash tourism.

Tags: Kalash, Middle East, Pakistan

Across the Wire

Syrian Army Attacks Palmyra’s Roman Ruins

March 05, 2012

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Since the violence that erupted in Syria nearly one year ago — a war that has so far left thousands dead and become one of the world’s biggest stories — the damage to the country’s ancient cities and cultural sites as a result of the conflict has remained largely unknown.

Tags: Middle East, Palmyra, Syria, UNESCO, War and Conflict

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Egypt’s Tourism Sector Tumbles Amid Violence

February 03, 2012

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For the millions of Egyptians whose incomes depend on tourist money, a bleak economic outlook grew even bleaker this week after a soccer riot in Port Said left as many as 74 dead. Considered the worst outbreak of violence since Hosni Mubarak was overthrown a year ago, the clashes were followed a day later by protests that resulted in injuries to nearly 400 people.

Tags: Africa, Egypt, Middle East, Political Instability, War and Conflict

Across the Wire

Turkey Contributes $5 Million to UNESCO Emergency Fund

February 01, 2012

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Since last November’s controversial vote to introduce Palestine as its 195th member, UNESCO has been eager to recoup the funding it lost when the U.S. and Israel withdrew their support for the organization — about 22 percent of the group’s annual budget.

Tags: Congo, Gabon, Middle East, Palestine, Turkey, UNESCO

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