A death

Statement from the Oriental Institute (University of Chicago):

    August 19, 2015

    The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago mourns the
    brutal murder by the self-proclaimed Islamic State (also known
    as ISIL, ISIS, or Daa'ish) of Khaled al-As'ad, the retired
    Antiquities Director for the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria.

    Palmyra, a caravan city on the edge of the Syrian desert is a
    UNESCO World Heritage site renowned for its historical
    significance as part of the Silk Road, its beautifully preserved
    architecture and magnificent sculptures.

    The 81 year old Mr. al-As'ad was arrested, tortured, and
    beheaded for refusing to reveal the location of antiquities from
    Palmyra that he had hidden away to prevent them from being
    looted and sold on the illicit antiquities market.

    We condemn this brutal and senseless act.  We mourn the loss of
    a scholar and courageous man who gave his life to protect the
    irreplaceable cultural heritage of Palmyra, and Syria more
    generally.

        <URL:http://oi.uchicago.edu/article/oriental-institute-statement-murder-khaled-al-asad>

Mauro J. Mazzini
Centre de Protection du Patrimoine


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 29:14
                  Distributed: Sunday, August 23, 2015
                       Message Id: cdl-29-14-001
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