C O N T E X T 1 5 0 : J U L Y 2 0 1 7 27 ATAA ALSALLOUM and IAIN JACKSON Rebuilding and reconciliation in Homs With the fighting seeming to be over in the Syrian city of Homs, the reconstruction of damaged religious buildings has given impetus to rebuilding the city’s communities. The Syrian government has reclaimed control of Homs. Most opposition fighters had already left the city in 2014, after two years of fighting which had resulted in massive destruction of its historic fabric. The Unesco world heritage centre notes that Syria has six cultural heritage sites and another 12 on the tentative list. The country’s heritage stretches way beyond the world heritage status, and has several contributions to the modern life of humanity. For example, the first set of alphabet letters and music notes in the world, dated 1400BC, come from Ugarit and Ebla in North Syria. The list of heritage categories in Syria is extensive, including, but not limited to, natural heritage, cultural routes, movable properties and intangible heritage.The six Unesco sites were moved to the in-danger list in 2013 because of the destruction and threats to their outstanding universal value. Homs was once Syria’s third-largest populated city after Aleppo and Damascus. Its communities (mainly Christians andMuslims), supported by local authorities, took the initial step towards post-war reconciliation, despite the continued conflict. This has been led by the reconstruction of two important historic religious buildings: St Mary’s Church of the Holy Belt (Um az-Zinnar, as pronounced in Arabic) and Khalid ibn al-Walid Mosque. This work shows that, despite the devastating destruction and the erosion of the unique Syria’s main cultural heritage and archaeological sites (Source:Wikipedia and the authors) A view of the old city walls in the Bab Houd district before the civil war (Source: Old Homs Memories page, Facebook) sense of place, significant historic religious buildings can contribute to post-war reconciliation. The old city of Homs includes exemplar historical properties from the various civilizations which have inhabited it through the ages. An example is the citadel, dating back to the third millennium BC, which was renovated during Roman times and through the Islamic era. Several types of historical monument, including traditional markets and courtyard houses, occupy the old city. Homs is famous for its historical architectural style with alternating rows of light and dark masonry, for which it is fondly known as the City of Black Stones. However, a major urban renewal project in the old city
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