Ancient City of Bosra

Before the conflict:

• Illegal Activities
• Housing

Since March 2011:

• Armed conflict (Damage of historic buildings due to the conflict)
• Illegal activities (illegal constructions following the start of the conflict and illegal excavations)

Destruction as well as ascertained and potential threats consequent to the armed conflict in Syria that started in March 2011

In progress

In progress

Total amount provided to the six Syrian World Heritage properties: 200,000 euros by the Italian Government; for built, movable and intangible heritage: 2.46 million euros by the European Union, USD 170,000 by the Flemish Government, 63,000 euros by the Austrian Government, USD 200,000 by the German Government; for cultural heritage under conflict: USD 200,000 by the Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage in Bahrain; USD 31,640 from the World Heritage Fund budget line dedicated to properties inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

On 11 January 2024, the State Party submitted state of conservation reports for the six Syrian World Heritage properties, which are available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/22/documents/ and include updated information on progress in a number of conservation issues at the property, as follows:

• At the north-western tower of the Citadel/Theatre, the General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums (DGAM) addressed structural fragilities and cracks resulting from deterioration over time and associated with historical ground movement. The work involved disassembly, numbering and sorting of stone and debris, and reassembly according to the principles of restoration set as follows: documentation and data collection, use of original material, respect to all historic periods, harmonious replacement of missing stones, collection of new data throughout the process;
• Façade cracks in the Madrasa Abû al-Fidâ have been repaired;
• Infrastructure works at the property are progressing to encourage the return of inhabitants. These include installing solar powered light columns (a project funded by the French Islamic Organization with the support of the Syrian Red Crescent and the Municipality of Bosra), digging wells for drinking water, and repairing roads and the sewage system, as well as electricity and water networks;
• A Heritage Impact Assessment is being prepared for the rehabilitation of the Kalybe monument (Cradle of the King’s Daughter) in accordance with the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context, and with the support of an international expert, prior to any decision about implementation;
• The property suffers from long-term neglect resulting from insufficient funding and lack of international support. Financial support is needed for site management and master plans.

The State Party has undertaken emergency consolidation and restoration work at the Citadel/Theatre and Madrasa Abû al-Fidâ, two monuments that presented structural instability. Several pictures are provided showing the state before and after restoration work. The repair works to the façade of the Madrasa Abû al-Fidâ are welcome. At the Citadel/Theatre, the State Party determined that cracks were too critical to be consolidated without dismantling and re-building. In addition, some vulnerable corner stones were replaced. Such an extensive intervention should not have proceeded without prior notification to the World Heritage Centre in conformity with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, which would have provided an opportunity for technical review and discussion to reach the most optimal approach. It would be appropriate to remind the State Party of the obligation to submit information on any proposal that may have an impact on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property to the World Heritage Centre for examination by the Advisory Bodies before works commence, in conformity with paragraphs 118bis and 172 of the Operational Guidelines, along with a Heritage Impact Assessment following the methodology of the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context.  

The infrastructure improvement work undertaken at the property is welcome, as it contributes to the revival of the site and encourage the return of inhabitants.

The Committee previously requested, through Decision 45 COM 7A.46, the State Party to continue emergency consolidation work at the property but to limit other restoration works, and to instigate preparation of a site management plan and master plan. The financial and human resource challenges facing the property, are acknowledged, but the management plan and the master plan remain key instruments and their absence raises queries regarding the rationale for decisions taken for ad-hoc restoration works, and the sustainability of development projects. The Committee should encourage the State Party to consider initiation of a site management plan as a high priority. In the absence of a comprehensive conservation and management plan, the State Party should develop a detailed conservation intervention methodology for buildings and monuments, including principles and technical requirements, and to submit this to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies.

Work on the elaboration of the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR) has been initiated remotely through collaboration between the World Heritage Centre, the Advisory Bodies and the DGAM. An online technical meeting took place on 22 April 2024, with further meetings and substantial follow up planned for 2024, in order to develop the DSOCR with related corrective measures and present it to the 47th session of the Committee.

Given the previously reported extensive illicit excavation at the property, it is recommended that the Committee reiterate its appeal to the Member States of UNESCO to fulfil their obligations under international law, especially the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2347 of March 2017.

Given the progress achieved in planning the recovery of the property, the previously requested joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS/ICCROM Reactive Monitoring mission will be crucial as soon as the situation allows.