The Grand Palais offers a free and moving exhibition in its south-east gallery to raise public awareness of the disappearance of archaeological sites in war-torn regions. Rediscover four splendours of our endangered World Heritage!
We live in a dramatic time when fanaticism and fundamentalism are pushing people to destroy the most beautiful testimonies of our past. After the destruction of the Buddha in Bamyan in 2001, several museums or archaeological sites suffered serious damage. Whether in Syria, Iraq or elsewhere, UNESCO and the Réunion des Musées Nationaux have mobilized this end of the year to offer an extraordinary exhibition: Eternal Sites
A course open to all
This event is free and open to all. It aims to raise public awareness of the disappearance of our cultural wealth and highlights their importance in our history. Four sites are presented:
- Khorsabad : In northern Iraq, there are still some traces of this place that was once a fortress. Places of passage, this place was mainly intended to establish the Assyrian power and dominate most of the Near East. It inspired respect and admiration in those who stayed there. Today, looters use it to sell the remains of the remains of the palace.
- Palmyra : Place of supply of the Roman Empire, temple to the God Bel, this city was long known for the exchanges it allowed between East and West. A true jewel, an oasis at the gates of the desert, today there is almost nothing left of its former grandeur. In 2015, the Islamic State destroyed several monuments such as the temple, the triumphal arch and the funerary towers. The site is accessible again, but still threatened.
- The Great Umayyad Mosque of Damascus : This place has been better preserved than the others, despite the fires that struck it at the end of the 19th century. The building still houses relics. It is the testimony of the greatness of the Umayyads, and still has some riches in its decoration that testifies to it. It is a protected site and still has some treasures to reveal to us.
- The Krak des Chevaliers: Grandiose military architecture of the Crusades period, this castle perched on the mountain of Djebel Ansariyeh is a vestige of the Frankish presence in the Middle East. This place became a residence at the end of the crusades with hammam and aqueduct. After several attacks and bombings, the building is now generally preserved, but suffers some devastation.
More than an exhibition, an experience!
The exposure is not very long. An introduction explains the reason for this exhibition before entering the main room which is a 360-degree immersion in the four places mentioned above. Reconstructions in computer graphics and the presence of some treasures lent for the occasion allow you to dive into the heart of history and discover these threatened sites in a gripping and moving way. After a journey through the ages, the visitor becomes aware of the loss that would be the total disappearance of these sites.
Awareness and engagement
A final room invites us to meet some actors who work for the preservation of this heritage, the techniques used to reconstruct the past and the misdeeds of terrorist attacks on these four wonders. A true work of goldsmith and archaeology, we see the degradation of the place and the effort that has been made to be able to transcribe them in this exhibition. Rebuilding and restituting, such is the mission of Iconem in particular.
An exhibition that we highly recommend and that will not take more than an hour of your time but that will teach you a lot! We come out blown away and completely moved and amazed by the real and virtual images of this endangered heritage!
You can also extend the experience with NMR courses
