Partners

• ICCROM (International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property)
• DoA (Department of Antiquities, Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities, Jordan)
• DGA (General Directorate of Antiquities, Ministry of Culture, Lebanon)
• DGAM (General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums, Ministry of Culture, Syria)
• UNESCO Regional Office in Beirut

Duration: two weeks (24 January - 3 February)

Place: Bosra and Damascus, Syria

Participants
Twenty site managers from the Department of Antiquities from Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria attended the course. Some professionals and community representatives from Bosra and the region also were invited as observers.

Aim
The purpose of this course was to initiate a practical and interactive approach to ensure an integrated and value-based management of archaeological sites and living historic areas in the region.

Course activities
The case of Bosra was the focus of this course. ICCROM experts in various heritage management fields introduced concepts and case studies to guide discussions and course work. National experts also provided insights on the state of the art in this field in Bosra and Syria.

Study visits and comparative studies on different heritage site conservation and management approaches in the region were carried out. These included visits to Palmyra, Saroujah neighbourhood in Damascus, and sites in the vicinity of Bosra (Shahba, Suweidah and Qanawat). The local community participated in a meeting arranged by the mayor of Bosra. The participants concluded the course by drafting management strategies for the protection of the living archaeological site of Bosra.

Main achievements
By the end of the course participants:

• attained an overall understanding of the basic principles and processes of site management;
• recognized the need for interdisciplinary collaboration;
• identified appropriate tools to enhance site documentation and the assessment of significance;
• devised general strategies for the management of the World Heritage Site of Bosra.

updated on: 25 November, 2010