مرکز منطقه ای اطلاع رساني علوم و فناوري - The Sociological Dimension and the History of the Looted Artifacts in Syria and Iraq

Abstract :

The term “artifact” is a value in itself. The term “historical artifact” concerns the societies and the periods and it becomes an element that need to be protected by wider masses. It is important not only because it is a form of production but also it contains social values in itself. The wars resulting from the disagreements between the states threaten human dignity and life safety as well as historical works. Historical monuments which are the assurance of communities being nations are also a guarantee of the future. The historical artifacts are not only the guarantee for being a nation but also an assurance for the future. Nowadays, the destabilization in the eastern part of Turkey as a result of the civil wars and the foreign intervention entails a risk for the historical artifacts. Compared to the past, as a result of insecurity, historical artifacts’ places are changing more than in normal times. Looted museums, libraries, collections cause deep gaps that cannot be filled in the history of nations. Iraq and Syria, not only the artifacts looted from countries such as Syria, but the values they carry are the future of these nations. It is not only the artifacts that are looted from the nations such as Iraq and Syria but also their future due to the values that the artifacts carry.