It is common for states to have legislation and institutions that protect their built heritage. It is also common for there to be gaps in the laws themselves or their implementation while certain circumstances may place a country's heritage under specific vulnerabilities. Thus, alongside state institutions, there are locally based architects and researchers establishing independent initiatives to document and conserve aspects of their built heritage. Syria is one example of a place with an extensive history of monuments and buildings of interest as well as active groups of independent conservators.
Deir Ez-Zor Heritage Library (DZHL) is a voluntary initiative focused on the built cultural heritage of the city and province of Deir Ez-Zor in eastern Syria. The project was founded by Lamis Bakjaji, a native of Deir Ez-Zor, in collaboration with Bahaa Abdallah. Both founders are architects and conservators who volunteer their expertise to safeguard heritage damaged during the armed conflict in the region. The primary goal of DZHL is to establish an accessible digital heritage library, comprising an archive of architectural data to support potential rebuilding efforts in the city. The initiative began in 2018, operating initially through social media platforms and without external funding.
Deir Ez-Zor is a historic city whose cultural importance is less widely recognized compared to other Syrian cities in the west. According to Bahaa Abdallah, the city boasts numerous Ottoman-era buildings and architectural landmarks from the French Mandate period in the early twentieth century. However, extensive destruction during the war displaced most of its residents, leaving historic structures increasingly susceptible to neglect and environmental damage. The 2023 earthquake that struck northern Syria and southern Turkey exacerbated the deterioration of these buildings.
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Somali Architecture Students Digitally Preserve Their Country's Heritage—Before It's Too LateSpecializing in heritage documentation and photogrammetry, Bahaa Abdallah joined DZHL after meeting Lamis Bakjaji in Damascus. Another architect, Hazem al-Khleaf, also works with them on 3D documentation. Following the partial stabilization of the situation in Deir Ez-Zor, the team secured permits to conduct fieldwork in the city. However, the fragile security conditions and limited access to specialized equipment necessitated the use of mobile phones and laptops for documentation. Advances in software and proficiency in photography and videography allowed the team to achieve detailed results. Some structures documented during these surveys sustained further damage afterward, underscoring the critical importance of these records.
The team's work encompassed surveys of various building types, including residential structures, religious monuments, and the woodworking market, as well as an extensive study of the Main Street. In addition to architectural documentation, the initiative engaged with the local community to research intangible heritage, collecting oral histories and other cultural narratives from city residents.
Another independently initiated group is the Archive of Modern Architecture in Syria (AMASyria). Whilst DZHL focuses on a specific location heavily affected by conflict, AMASyria's area of study is modern architecture, which sits outside of governmental heritage protection processes. According to its website, it "is an initiative to research, document, and share the Syrian architectural experience of the 20th century and discuss it within its historical context as part of the broader cultural landscape in the region and the world while highlighting its intersection with political, economic, and artistic spheres." Part of the initiative's goal is also to contextualize modern Syrian architecture within global discourse.
AMASyria was founded by architects Ahmad Salah and Mirma Alwareh as a personal initiative. Its presence was originally on social media, where positive feedback encouraged the founders to continue developing their research. In 2020, the founders had access to the drawings archive of acclaimed architect Nizar Al-Farra as well as the archives of the magazine of the Engineers Association, which triggered their work in digitization. Grants were obtained to help with this and the team expanded to digitize the work of multiple architects as well as public competition entries. The founders noted that some documentation was found in archives abroad, hence the importance of a digital repository that makes these documents available in one place.
The archive, which is an ongoing project, includes notable Modernist projects such as the Center for Marine Research in Latakia by architect Bourhan Tayara of the firm Arab Engineers and Architects. It includes architectural documents and drawings, old and recent photographs, competition booklets, sketches, official project descriptions, and oral histories as told by architects or their families and acquaintances.
Other groups undertaking conservation and documentation work in Syria include Turathuna Foundation, based in the city of Homs. Established by architect Lama Abboud, it works within disaster risk management where it aims to raise awareness, preserve, rescue, and revive Syrian Cultural Heritage. Its teams have helped restore and preserve several historic buildings in the city, known for its distinctive dark stone. Another is Rafekatuna, based in the city of Raqqa. Like Deir Ez-Zor, the city suffered considerable damage during ISIL/Daesh rule and the battles that ensued. Projects under Rafekatuna included the protection and restoration of several buildings, documentation, and a digital museum. All these initiatives illustrate the resilience of individuals. With their architecture and built heritage facing vulnerabilities due to war, natural disasters, or neglect, they have organized voluntarily and with limited resources.
