The New York Times has reported (“Minaret on a Storied Syrian Mosque Falls“) that the 11th century Umayyad Mosque in the ancient walled city portion of Aleppo (Syria), a UNESCO World Heritage site, was badly damaged during fighting between insurgents and government forces. Despite UNESCO’s pleas that the integrity of heritage sites be respected, fighting has taken place near them for months. In a two-year long conflict during which tens of thousands of people have been killed and millions displaced, is it unlikely that the combatants will be careful of buildings.
A Casualty of Armed Conflict
