TECHNICAL COOPERATION AGREEMENT
SYRIA - ITALY 
CULTURAL HERITAGE SECTOR		  

DGAM - DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF ANTIQUITIES AND  MUSEUMS  - MINISTRY OF CULTURE SYRIA
DGCS - GENERAL DIRECTION FOR DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION  - MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ITALY
PROJECT MANAGEMENT WEB SITE

About the

AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC ON THE FINANCING OF THE INITIATIVE
’’RENOVATION AND REORGANIZATION OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF DAMASCUS AND REHABILITATION OF THE CITADEL OF DAMASCUS’’

Presently DGAM is managing 28 museums and 3073 archaeological sites, where 80 foreign missions are operating with an impressing number of yearly new excavations. Present personnel of DGAM is critically insufficient in order to manage such a rich cultural heritage. While workers having adequate new technical and scientific skills would be indispensable to face the new duties.

 

REASONS FOR THE PROJECT

Since ancient time Syria has strong historical ties with Italy and a close relationship in the present, as shown in the meaningful cooperation which operated under the Cooperation Agreement identified by the Memorandum of Understanding signed in Damascus on November 2000. This grant would allow interventions for 20 billion lira (10,33 million euro) in favor of the DGAM, 6,0 million being dedicated to the National Museum and to the Citadel of Damascus; 2,8 million to manage four Masters specialization (in conservation, archaeology, economy of cultural heritage) to be held at Syria Universities; and 1,5 million for interventions in favor of the Museum of Aleppo, of the sites and museums of Ebla and Palmyra.
The  Minutes of Meetings signed in  Damascus on November  the 18th  2001,  between  DGAM and the Embassy,   and the  following   agreements done  in Rome on  June 20th 2002, reserved total priority  to the implementation of the general project to enhance Cultural Heritage sector’s  institutions. Particularly it will concern the actions to be taken for the Damascus National Museum and the Citadel. Following the completion and signature of the Agreement and its Annexes, current Project is expected to operate for two years, beginning in 2004.

 

THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF DAMASCUS

In 1919, during the short-lived freedom following the departure of the Ottoman troops, the idea to build a small museum to preserve the Syrian antiquities, taken under Turkish rule to the museum of Istanbul, was conceived. That project was realized turning some of the halls of the Arab Academy, into the madrasah Adiliya in the Old Damascus. Those halls were soon insufficient to keep newly and frequently discovered archaeological finds.

In 1935, the discovery of two important monuments of enormous value - the second Century Palmyra tomb and the third Century Synagogue of Doura-Europos - brought to the construction of a new museum, needed to keep the two mentioned monuments, and the Greek, Roman and Byzantine antiquities, which needed more space. At that time it was decided to set up the pre-Hellenistic collection into the Museum of Aleppo and the Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Islamic-Arabic collections into the Museum of Damascus.  

The plan was based on the idea of reassembling the hypogea tomb and the Synagogue as they originally were, keeping the atmosphere of the surrounding environment. The whole structure was built keeping in mind these two elements, planning a rational museological placement and, at the same time, keeping a continuity with the adjacent structures, and in particular with the 16th Century Turkish Mosque on the left of the present entrance to the Museum.

 

The building has than been located inside a large garden with a L shape (where are a number of statues, stone material of classical period coming from different locations  and  several mosaics). The nearby Mosque is separated by a mass of trees. The volumes of the buildings are articulated by a number of indents in order to appear as a not too tall building, having the same size of the Mosque. The external finishing was realized taking as model  the  XIII century Arab-Syrian architecture.

 

From the entrance hall, sited on the Mosque side (now reserved to the exhibition of antiquities of classical times coming from coastal sides), one could enter two orthogonal oriented galleries which would lie to the halls now containing  classical  antiquities (Jabal el Arab, Hauran, Palmyra e Dura Europos). From the same hall, one could enter the hypogeous tomb, the Synagogue and the working areas (it was previously preview  an office for the curator and his secretary, a library, an office for the conservation of historical  monuments, a restoration laboratory, a photographs laboratory). This area was occupying what is now the area for the Byzantine art. The two orthogonally oriented galleries were modulated by show-cases inside the walls, while the big exposition rooms should contain stone material  of  large dimension. Stairs were leading to the upper floor, reserved to coin and jewels exhibition.
 

The discovering of  the ruins of an omayyade Quasr al-Hair Castle, not far from Palmira, brought to build an extension of the museum, in order to exhibit part of the  principal  façade of the castle, 32 m length  per 15 m high. In fact it could not be located in any of the museum halls. In the ’50, was than built up the three stories western side, whose entrance was displaced and remodeled between the two towers of the castle. The court gallery inside the castle thus became the atrium of the museum and it also become the corridor for the flowing of the public towards the  two wings. 


The new construction was meant to contain a new department  of Arab –Islamic Art and a department of Oriental Antiquities. The upper floor contains a Department of Modern Art besides an hall for temporary expositions and a library. Following such refurbishment, the Museum  does not have a single route, rather two different ones leading to the two wings of the palace, unified then by the castle hall. The collections exhibition is not presented in a chronological succession, at the time, it is presented by a typological order, or in a geographical arrangement, or even the way is neither a linear one nor a definite one.

 

DONOR ASSISTANCE FRAMEWORK

According to the most recent realization on Museum studies, as well as on the basis of  the experience matured in the sector within the DGCS/UTC, it has become extremely clear the urgent needs of new  communications models, different from the traditional  ones. These should be used by the Museum in order to  interpret  the needs as well as the expectations and desiring of the visitors, and also to evaluate the visitors relevant  experience.
Every where it is felt the indispensable need of a new and more complex organization of the Museum  institution. New communication devices and systems, new and more plastic archiving tools, all should allow to gain a better system of collections presentation, a more attentive and coordinated one, to the introduction of  rotating mechanism, of temporary exhibitions organization and of a stable exchange of  masterpieces borrows with worldwide similar organizations. It is even more indispensable to set a correct relationship between architecture and  collections, between  physical spaces  and conceptual-communicating spaces.

 

In the mean time, it should rely on a widely competent staff, highly motivated, duly trained and operating. That is absolutely necessary for the best running, for the achievement of the objectives and for the institution building policy. Training the staff of a museum, which is dialoging with the outside,  and comparing  itself  with it,  need to be understood as a continuum process, including all the different transversal competencies, particularly on the following themes:

·        Conservation

·        Museum System development

·        Research promotion

·        People education.

 

CONSERVATION LABORATORIES

 

A particular component is the Conservation department. It concerns both the museum own restoration laboratories, and the Mosaics restoration presently stored at the Damascus Citadel.

The restoration laboratories, sited in the basement floor of the Museum, are  not  an essential service of the museum, rather an autonomous Unit operating for the Museum  but also for the needs of other structures of the Country. The available spaces concern 5 restoration Laboratories and workshops (Wood work, carpentry, metal works, ceramics, paintings) for a total of 168 sqm.  There is also a small  room for specific diagnosis (28 sqm). At the moment 24 working units are functioning within this Laboratory.

 

The conservation activity must also concern the rich mosaics collection (ca. 500), whose part is stored in the Museum’s underground, part is within the Citadel. It has been estimated that the Citadel’s North Gallery may host, as a permanent exhibition, ca. 100 mosaics. On the basis of a preliminary analysis, it is estimated that  between 25 -30% of the mosaics needs a serious restoration intervention. 

 

At this purpose training and upgrading courses have been foreseen on behalf of the  laboratories operators. The Citadel Laboratory will in fact  become the specialized one for Mosaic Conservation.

DONOR ASSISTANCE FRAMEWORK

The identification process of this project component includes the following  factors:

1. Present activities location is not adequate to the needs of a modern laboratory, so to      be able to face its delicate role;

2. The necessity to adequate laboratories activities in order to be more punctual in:

 

It has thus been agreed, with the Syrian side, for a - at least - partially new localization. The relevant works have already started. It is, however, crucial to start with the complete equipment  of the laboratories.

Concerning the mosaics training activities, these will be articulated in two different methodological schemes, according to  weather they concerns activities of conservation in situ, or activities for objects originally musealized  but previously re-composed. There will be interventions for the removal of a mosaic from the original contest, or even from sustains which are not anymore adequate (mortars, resins, etc.).

For both the two laboratories it has been considered that beneficiaries of the training on the job activities will be technicians presently working in the Museum and also others units specifically recruited, personnel who the DGAM shall recruit.

THE CITADEL OF DAMASCUS

In Roman times the city of Damascus  was surrounded by city walls. These were still perfectly standing at the time of the Arab conquering. Starting from the Abbassidi’ conquering in 750 a.D.. the walls started to be pillaged in order to use the bricks as constructing materials. Many of those materials were utilized for the construction of the Citadel by the Selgiucids kings in 1078. It was a real royal palace, with palaces, hammams, mosques and mederses, a city in the city.

So big were those palaces that during the  crusade wars they became the residences  of the Aegypth’s  and Syria Sultans as well as, the headquarters of  their troops. In 1202 it was than built again, the way we know it today, with  more massive defensive intentions. They were surrounded  by high walls, crown by merlons, 12 elegant high towers, a moat thus to resist to attacks  by the Tartarians and by the Mongols.

In Ottomans times, when the Royal Palace moved to the El Azem Palace, it was abandoned  than later utilized as prison. The moats were fill by earth than, in the ’60 of XIX century,  there were built the souqs  Hamidiya  (the one covered by metal arches), Asrouniya  and  El Khaja. This last one since was hiding the Palace western façade, has recently been demolished.

Since few years a refurbishment program is on progress and since the ’70, at the Tower 12, buildings have been built to host l’Ecole Moyenne d’Archéologie.

The Citadel is a quadrangular area  of 230 x 150 meters sides. There are big towers, galleries at the end of a large square, now without buildings but the Ecole Moyenne d’Archéologie, which the Syrian side is planning to move somewhere else.

There are two areas of particular architectural interest: on the East side, the  Columns Hall (27 x 24 m.), the Bastions, the Tower 7 and the Oriental Gate (where French excavation campaigns are on progress) which is now closed and would open toward  the old town. The West side, Tower 12 (20 x 20 m, 4 stores), the Bastions, the Western Gate which opens towards Avenue El Thaura and the modern town. On the Northern side, the structure is enriched by a second court of modest size (80 x 27 m.) (where excavation campaigns are also on progress).

All together it consists of open spaces and large halls, of galleries with a strong towering mark and a plastic richness. These structures may be well utilized for cultural activities as an open gate towards the town.

Galleries and halls may easily host  exhibitions, cultural events etc.  while the two courts could be used both to make the town and its functions enter the Citadel itself, as well as to guest important manifestations  (festivals, film or sports events, etc.). Let’s consider that the main court is large as two third of Roma,s Navona Square, where in the Cent.‘700 naval see battles were organized. 

 

DONOR ASSISTANCE FRAMEWORK

The opening of the Damascus Citadel toward the civil world  is a strategic objective, it is an essential point of the Syrian cultural policy. It will have to have the following objectives:

§  It has to contribute to give the Country a picture, a history and  a definition of its own cultural identity. It has to enhance the tourist flows both from Arab Countries and from Western and Eastern world. 

§  It has to create an international cultural poli-functional center, in the  very hearth of the town, enhancing the economic value of the Syrian cultural resources.

Thus it is necessary to evaluate the actual framework of the cultural, environmental,  urban, tourism national  and international policy, already identified or on the way for a have a definition. Coherently with these procedures it will be also necessary to define relevant enhancement interventions.

Particularly, it will be important to fix the framework of relationships between the Citadel and the souq area and also make an evaluation of development capabilities to integrate  the economic and social plot of the old town with the new attracting capacities of the Citadel. This, is in order to create a Cultural district or a center capable to mobilize national and international resources.

In such a scenario it will be also be considered the possibility of  re-use of old structures and consequently of strengthening and restoration interventions for some parts of the Citadel.