GENEVA, December 23. /TASS/. More than 290 objects of cultural value in Syria, which are on the UN list of world cultural heritage, have been either damaged or destroyed during the civil war in Syria which has been going on for four years, the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) said in a report released Tuesday.
Satellite monitoring of eighteen territories in Syria showed that considerable losses were inflicted on dozens of objects of cultural value, in particular, in the cities of Aleppo and Damascus. Archaeological treasures of Palmyra and an ancient crusaders' castle 65 kilometers west of the city of Homs were heavily damaged as well, the UNITAR report said.
Serious damage was caused to 104 objects of cultural and historical value; relatively moderate damage was caused to 85 more cultural treasures; twenty-four other cultural monuments are believed to have been completely destroyed, the UNITAR report said.
The authors of the report have called to pool additional efforts on a national and international levels for the sake of rescue of the remaining cultural heritage in Syria, which might be saved yet, which is of great importance to the whole mankind.