SYRIA: Campaign launched to revive the Syrian city of Amrit, home to ancient archaeological sites

Record ID: 279718

  • Title: SYRIA: Campaign launched to revive the Syrian city of Amrit, home to ancient archaeological sites
  • Date: 20th September 2007
  • Summary: (MER1) AMRIT, NEAR TARTOUS, SYRIA (SEPTEMBER 18, 2007) (REUTERS): VARIOUS OF SYRIAN FIRST LADY ASMA AL-ASSAD WALKING THROUGH RUINS OF AT THE ANCIENT CITY OF AMRIT AND TALKING WITH VOLUNTEER WORKERS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PROJECT LEADER YASSER AL-JABI SAYING: "Efforts to revive some of the archaeological sites in the old cities, or in the gardens or different group initiative
  • Embargoed: 5th October 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: History
  • Reuters ID: LVA72WZSSPF67JMY2HFE61IOF7IM
  • Story Text: Syria's first lady Asma al-Assad launched a campaign on Tuesday (September 18) to renew interest in the ancient city of Amrit which was once one of the most prominent cities on the Cannanite-Phonecian coast.
    Amrit, also known as Marathus, was an ancient city located seven kilometres from Tartous in modern-day Syria and was founded in the 3rd millennium BC.
    Asma al-Assad, who in 2004 was awarded an honorary doctorate in archeology for the preservation of Syria's cultural and historical heritage from the La Sapienza University in Rome, walked through the ruins of Amrit with coordinators of the project and several young volunteers, who are the muscles behind the project and are carrying out most of the work.
    Project leader Yasser al-Jabi said the latest campaign to revive Amrit was part of a state-sponsored effort to involve Syrian youths in various cultural projects across the country.
    "Efforts to revive some of the archaeological sites in the old cities, or in the gardens or different group initiatives which youths can get involved in," said al-Jabi.
    "The groups of workers here are made up of 200 students from the Syrian National Union of students," he added.
    As part of the project, volunteers are clearing Amrit's various archeological sites from litter and shrubs in order to make the site more presentable and picturesque.
    Rana Hamdan, a volunteer working on various sites in Amrit, said she was happy to be taking part in such a project.
    "It's a nice project and it is important. It teaches the volunteer how to work in a group and everyone feels like they are doing something nice and something that we really care about such as this site. It's nice to see it almost coming back to life," she said.
    The rehabilitation project in Amrit is part of a bigger drive by the Syrian government to boost tourism across the country.
    Syria, at the heart of a turbulent Middle East, might seem a tough sell as a holiday destination, but the government sees tourism as a vital growth sector now that oil resources are dwindling.
    With its archaeological treasures, lively souks, religious sites and hospitable traditions, Syria has much to offer people interested in culture -- and tolerant of service and quality not yet up to the standards of more established tourist industries.
    Syria must also grapple with what the country's Tourism Ministry acknowledges is an "image problem" associated with instability in nearby Lebanon, Iraq and Palestinian territories.
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