Nobonita Chowdhury
War and civil unrest has always been a part of human civilization, especially from the start of this decade. As far as I’m concerned, war will always prevail for as long as humanity exists. We as human beings get into conflicts over the simplest things. For conflicts to cease altogether, one of us has to be willing to live with the short end of the stick.
Schools teach students to prepare for financial success, instead of teaching them the importance of things like learning and sacrifice. If the new generations are being geared towards becoming tycoons, then how can we expect world peace? War takes so much away from us. It not only takes lives; it destroys civilizations, history and culture. The only way to limit further losses is to reflect upon the heritage that had already been lost to war. Even though I doubt that anyone influential will be reading this article anytime soon, perhaps it is a small initiative that might create a larger path towards peace. Who knows? Only time will tell.
1) Apamea, Syria: An ancient city that was once home to the kings of the Seleucid Empire and later the Romans, Apamea was a site that harbored a lot of our ancient history. However, the current conflict in Syria has damaged Apamea to such an extent that many historians believe that it can never be restored. This city, which once held the wonders of one of the most beautiful architectures in the world, has now been reduced to broken shards of mosaic and pebble dust. Furthermore, all its timeless treasures have been looted and ransacked, perhaps forever lost to humanity.
2) Ancient shrines and mausoleums in Timbuktu, Mali: Timbuktu was founded in the 12th century by nomads, soon becoming a major trading hub for caravans that braved the treacherous Saharan sand dunes. The city has several remarkable and historical structures unique to the area. However, in 2012 members of a group with links to Al-Qaeda began destroying the historical sites of Timbuktu. More than half of the town’s shrines and mausoleiums were torn down and reduced to rubbles. International calls for an end to their destruction have gone in vain.
3) The Great Mosque Of Aleppo, Syria: Located within the city’s historic Al-Jalloum district, the mosque is said to contain the remains of Zachariah, father of John the Baptist. It had been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site due to its historical importance. Unfortunately, the mosque was lost to mankind in April 2013 due to the current civil war. Rebel forces occupied the building for several months, and much of the site was reduced to rubble after an intense clash between Syrian rebels and government forces. Although the possibility of reconstruction does exist, the ongoing situation prevents any restoration from now taking place.
4) National Library And Archive, Iraq: Baghdad’s National Library used to store an impressive collection of 12 million books, manuscripts and carved stone tablets detailing the nation’s history. The Library and Archive was under attack by Saddam Hussein’s loyalists in 2003. Much of the library’s collection was consumed by fire, the rest left under the mercy of looters. The destruction of these documents was a great loss to Iraq’s cultural heritage.
While documents lost during the fire are gone forever, there is an ongoing effort to compile and restore the remaining documents.
5) Yongmyong Temple, North Korea: The Buddhist temple was built over 1500 years ago and named for an ancient king, Dongmyeong of Goguryeo. It was a popular tourist attraction in its day, being particularly famous for its cherry-tree filled gardens and beautiful scenery. The US destroyed the temple in a carpet bombing attack during the Korean War.