August 25, 2015
In Memorium of Khaled al-Asa’ad: An Archaeologist Who Sacrificed Himself to Protect Palmyra and Syrian Cultural Heritage
The brutal murder of Khaled al-Asa’ad, the Syrian archaeologist overseeing the UNESCO world heritage site Palmyra, by the self-proclaimed Islamic State (ISIS) has deeply saddened and shocked everyone, especially the international community of archaeologists and cultural heritage specialists. It is with heavy heart that the Society for Iranian Archaeology (SIA) sends their condolences to his family and colleagues in Syria and around the world
On Tuesday, August 18, 2015, Al-Asa’ad was executed ruthlessly after refusing to reveal to ISIS militants the location of valuable Palmyra artifacts that had previously been moved to a safer location. While he had the opportunity to easily escape along with the moved objects, he bravely chose to stay in Palmyra and protect it
The ancient caravan city of Palmyra was an example of a fusion between the East and West. Al-Asa’ad was so dedicated to the study and preservation of Palmyra that he was known as “Mr. Palmyra”. His efforts were instrumental in the nomination and selection of Palmyra as a UNESCO world heritage site. Al-Asa’ad lived almost his entire life in Palmyra, only leaving for a brief time to study and pursue a degree in history and education at the University of Damascus. He was the head of Palmyra’s antiquities for over 40 years. He authored many significant publications on Palmyra in his long devoted career and was a self-taught scholar of ancient Aramaic inscriptions
His life-long dedication to Palmyra, even in the face of death during his final moments, is a prime example of an archaeologist’s courage and loyalty to the stewardship of cultural heritage for future generations. Without a doubt, Khaled Al-Asa’ad will be remembered as representing not only stewardship of Syrian culture and history but also world heritage
