Satellite-Based Damage Assessment of Cultural Heritage Sites 2015 Summary Report of Iraq, Nepal, Syria & Yemen
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Satellite-Based Damage Assessment of Cultural Heritage Sites 2015 Summary Report of Iraq, Nepal, Syria & Yemen June 2016 2 / SATELLITE-BASED DAMAGE ASSESSMENT OF CULTURAL HERITAGE SITES: IRAQ, NEPAL, SYRIA AND YEMEN FOREWORD FOREWORD Thanks to the Memorandum of Understanding Since the signing of the Memorandum of signed between UNESCO and UNITAR in 2015, and Understanding between UNITAR-UNOSAT and building on our previous report on damage to UNESCO in June 2015, cultural heritage around the archeological sites in Syria (2014), satellite imagery world has continued to suffer on an unprecedented analysis is now a routine tool for assessing potential scale from intentional attacks, collateral damage, damage to cultural heritage sites. UNITAR’s UNOSAT widespread looting and the effects of natural programme ensures timely access to imagery derived disasters. Many of the countries affected by information over areas of conflict inaccessible to the conflicts remain inaccessible, while those hit by international community and provides supplemental disaster are also often hard to enter immediately. information to field data when access is possible. This applies to the protection of cultural heritage both However, thanks to their collaborative efforts, UNITAR- in conflict situations and during natural disasters. UNOSAT and UNESCO are now able to monitor The complementary roles of UNESCO and UNITAR- damage to cultural heritage via satellite imagery, as UNOSAT are important as they ensure an objective shown in this report. While UNOSAT provides technical One UN assessment of the status of cultural heritage, expertise in remote monitoring, UNESCO contributes free from political bias and founded on scientific to this partnership through its vast network of cultural methods. This is of particular significance during heritage experts, who help identify damage and put conflict situations, such as in Syria and Iraq. it into context. Satellite images are then corroborated by data collected on the ground, where available. The examples given in this report illustrate both the invaluable heritage of the specific sites through Satellite imagery helps to clarify situations, deploy UNESCO’s contribution and the resulting technical cultural first aid wherever it is most needed, if analysis performed by UNITAR-UNOSAT. With World the security conditions allow, and plan for future Heritage properties and other cultural heritage recovery. This report provides a glimpse of the under increasing risk of destruction, objective and potential of this technology and cooperation timely information is crucial for UNESCO and affected between UNESCO and UNITAR-UNOSAT, which we governments to call for and take action towards hope will be considerably developed in the future. its protection. UNOSAT is pleased to contribute to this important work and to once again guide the way to apply innovative satellite imagery solutions for UN sister agencies and Member States. Our partnership with UNESCO is a good Monitoring cultural heritage in areas affected example of how innovative applications by conflict or natural disasters, including of satellite imagery and other geo-spatial through the use of satellite imagery, is a technologies make a difference in critical step to preserve the memory of our past the way the United Nations supports as it supports damage assessment and allows its member states. to start planning for recovery. EINAR BJORGO FRANCESCO BANDARIN Manager, UNOSAT Francesco Bandarin United Nationas Institute for Assistant Director-General Training and Research for Culture, UNESCO CUTUA TA STS ASSSSNTS N 2015 Durin te onoin conlicts in ra Sria an emen an te earthquae tat afecte Neal in 2015 te UNTAs UNOSAT roramme as been suortin te umanitarian communit it satellite imaer erie analysis ile conuctin amae assessments o ciilian inrastructure in tose countries it became eient tat iesrea estruction an amae as been inlicte on cultural eritae locations Tis reort is te result o a eicate combine efort beteen UNOSAT an UNSCO to assess te current status o a selection o cultural eritae sites SYRIA IRAQ NEPAL YEMEN MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA SOUTH EAST ASIA SA NA Since arc 2011 Srias ecetional Te Aril 2015 earthquae eail afecte cultural ricness as continuousl sufere most o te cultural eritae sites in Neal in as a result o te onoin conlict an o articular itin te atmanu alle orl its imortant monuments incluin some eritae roert. on UNSCOs orl eritae ist ave been severel amae ue to te conlict MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA A N Since earl 2003 ras ric cultural eritae Since arc 2015 emens abunant cultural one o te olest in te orl as been at ris eritae as been ut at ris b te onoin conlict o estruction an lootin b arious actors in te country incluin a number o sites inscribe on UNSCOs orl eritae ist 4 / SATELLITE-BASED DAMAGE ASSESSMENT OF CULTURAL HERITAGE SITES: IRAQ, NEPAL, SYRIA AND YEMEN IRAQ The story of civilization in Iraq spans some 10,000 years. As the birthplace of writing, the wheel, and countless other human inventions, Iraq’s past has shaped our present. Iraq, a country in turmoil within an unstable region, is fighting a cultural battle in every sense of the word, as its cultural heritage is deliberately being destroyed. The archaeological site of Nimrud, located on the east Nimrud has been listed on Iraq’s Tentative List of World bank of the Tigris River and 37 km to the south-east of Heritage since 2000. UNOSAT documented the acts of Mosul, was the second capital of the Assyrian Empire, destruction and looting using a satellite image from 7 founded in 883 BC and known as Kalhu or Kalah. It had March 2015, compared with imagery collected 2 June been a well-settled place for a thousand years before it 2010 identifying a breach close to the main entrance to was built as a centre of the kingdom of Shalmaneser I the Ashurnasirpal II Palace (see image inset in page 5). A (1273-1244 BC). Under King Ashurnasirpal II (883-859 BC), month later ISIL/Daesh reportedly placed explosives inside the city was first designated as the Assyrian capital in 879 the Ashurnasirpal II Palace destroying the vast majority of BC and housed up to 100,000 inhabitants. The city had a the main structure. four-sided wall measuring 8 km, and several buildings Hatra was founded as an Assyrian city by the Seleucid raised on mud-brick platforms as high as 12 m above river- Empire during the 3rd century BC. A religious and trading level. Some of the buildings included the temple of centre of the Parthian Empire, Hatra flourished during the Ninurta, the North West Palace (Ashurnasirpal II’s) and the 2nd and 1st centuries BC. Later, the city became the South West Palace (Esarhaddon’s), Sargon’s palace, and capital of what is believed to be the first Arab Kingdom in others, notably the so-called ziggurat, which resembled a the chain of Arab cities running from Hatra, in the north- conical hill, with its remains rising to a height of 17 m. east, via Palmyra and Baalbek to Petra, in the south-west. Some beautiful bas-relief slabs were still featured on the The region controlled from Hatra was the Kingdom of site, though most of them were taken abroad by Araba, a semi-autonomous buffer kingdom on the western excavators, including a large number of exquisite ivory limits of the Parthian Empire, governed by Arabian princes. carvings, such as the so-called “Mona Lisa of Nimrud” and Hatra became an important fortified frontier city and a gilded lapis lazuli and agate-set piece showing a lioness withstood repeated attacks by the Roman Empire from mauling an Ethiopian, found in the 45.5x10.5m throne Trajan (116/117) and Septimius Severus (198/199) before room. The Palace of Ashurnasirpal, also known as the eventually falling to the Sassanians in 241 AD who razed North West Palace, was first excavated by the British the city. explorer Austen Henry Layard in the 1840s. His excavations are the source of the winged bull gatekeeper statues The remains of the city, especially the temples where currently displayed at the British Museum. Hellenistic and Roman architecture blended with Eastern decorative features, attested to the greatness of its In early March 2015, the Islamic State in Iraq and the civilization. Levant (ISIL/Daesh) commenced the gradual destruction of Nimrud by bulldozing and hammering down many of the ancient artefacts. This intentional act followed several reports of looting and other destructive activities at the site. SATELLITE-BASED DAMAGE ASSESSMENT OF CULTURAL HERITAGE SITES: IRAQ, NEPAL, SYRIA AND YEMEN / 5 NIMRUD CITADEL 18 April 2015 Southern Palace Nabu Temple Palace of Ashurnasirpal II 1 Great Ziggurat Governor’s Palace Possible damage Temple of Ishtar Possible Damage Khorsabad Mossul 1 No visible damage Ashur Nimrud Possible damage Baghdad Entrance to Palace of Destroyed Severe damage Ashurnasirpal II Source: Airbus Defense & Space Pléiades Imagery ©2016, 18 April 2015. Satellite imagery analysis by UNITAR-UNOSAT. They provided, moreover, exceptional evidence of an The ancient city of Ashur is located on the Tigris River in entire facet of Assyro-Babylonian civilization subjected to northern Mesopotamia in a specific geo-ecological zone, the influence of Greeks, Parthians, Romans and Arabs. at the borderline between rain-fed and irrigation Impressive examples of Hatran art, with its statues of kings agriculture. The city dates back to the 3rd millennium BC. and precious collections of gold, silver and copper objects, From the 14th to the 9th centuries BC it was the first can be admired at the National Museum of Iraq. capital of the Assyrian Empire, a city-state and trading On 4 April 2015, ISIL/Daesh released a video showing the platform of international importance.