What is the destiny of “Amrit” company for investment and tourism?
The popular proverb
says: “give me your hand” and the answer is “the one
who gets hit by a stick, is not like the one who’s
counting them”…!
This proverb summarizes
the suffering of shareholders in Amrit Company for
investment and tourism. Which have already demanded
in a letter to the respectable minister of tourism,
dated on 25/1/2004. and they demand once again ,to
find a solution for the mentioned company above,
which has been founded since 1989,and it has
almost 1000 of small contributors.
The
money of these contributors is frozen and their
affairs are paralyzed, nevertheless they did not
stop hoping. How life shall be without a little
hope?!
An interview with the
respectable minister of tourism, which was
broadcasted recently about the reality of tourism in
Syria, made them feel the same old sadness and made
them wonder:
“it is high time for
this project, that the ministry of tourism is
considered a primary partner in, to be started in
reality?? Or time has come for dissolving the
company and settling its affairs, and giving those
patient contributors their rights!”
The small contributers
and I do not think the big ones have another
opinion, are asking the respectable minister to do
his best he can, and to discuss with other
executives, whom are involved in this, to find the
best solutions. They confirm that the resurrection
of this project Will be a lighting point in the
history of Syrian tourism. However, the continuation
of the non-normal situation increases the suffering
of the shareholders and will cause them stress, thus
it will be a bleeding wound in the body of our
economical tourism, and will hit the pockets of the
patient contributors….
Dr.Abdul karim Abdul samad
http://www.tishreen.info/_opin.asp?FileName=12173269200507300039216
(The following explanations and
pictures are not parts of the original text):
In
the time that Amrit is witnessing a remarkable
activity to bring life back to it we denounce this
article which was written by the respectable
journalist Abdul karim Abdul samad.
The project he was talking about is being postponed
many years
ago
((almost 17)), and this project is considered one of
the most horrible
abuses,
which Amrit has suffered according to the
International organization for protecting the
cultural heritage “UNESCO”.
Amrit which witnesses today attempt to enter its
name into touristic corporation projects, despite
the decision of the Ministry of tourism to register
it as an
archeological
site.
From the UNESCO report, which was written about
three years ago as a response of the efforts of the
Directorate of Antiquities and Museums
in Syria, in an attempt
to register
Amrit
on
the list
of100
most endangered sites in the world,
we translated the following part:
“On
the beach with an extent of 200-300 meters into the
mainland, there was a large area which was fenced
since almost 15 years ago; a construction of a large
touristic complex was started, covering a space of
15 Hectares at least. (The length of this site is
about 600 meters and its width is about 200-300
meters, it belongs to the ministry of tourism)
We got into this complex, where the
project was stopped because of lack of
financing
, and we found out that more than half of the site
was drifted by bulldozers . the drifting (that
happened in the beginning of 90’s) destroyed the
city of the port from different periods of settling
since Phoenicians until Romans.
Only few ruins of the city
have been left
to the north of the complex in a space of 2-3
hectares.
The project is still offered on the
website of the ministry of
Syrian tourism
as a possible site to invest.
The
right of using the area must be given immediately to
the Directorate general
of antiquities and
museums, because it is the important link
between Amrit and Arwad. The reason of Amrit’s
existence in this place because it is the land site
of Arwad.
The
drifting of the port area is a
tragic
action, unfortunately, it cannot be repaired.
Only limited excavations happened in the area.
However, it is obvious that huge amounts of
scientific information are lost as a result of the
action of those bulldozers. Danger comes from the
investors' visit to the site from 19/02 to
04/03/2005, and an exhibition of investors will be
held in Damascus between 23-25/04/2005. It is worth
mentioning that few projects are in the historical
sites or near them,
amongst them is the Island of Arwad , that’s why I
think that this is the most serious threat to Amrit
historical site “end of the quotation.
According
to what is written above, we expected from the
journalist to ask the minister of tourism ,to get
the hands of the ministry of tourism off the site
and allow the
archeological
authorities to retry saving what was
destroyed and try to stop the drifting of the soil
where the project is situated .
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a small side of the
big wall that surrounds the area and the
entrance is appearing in the picture |
the wide area
(notice the wall to the right far from the
camera) which was settled and spread out by
small stones after removing all the ancient
ruins from it ( the pictures are taken from a
hill in the same area) |
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some constructions
are built inside the wall, which are delaying
working in. |
From
the same mentioned hill, up in the picture, when
looking towards east we find in front of us the
archeological spindles (for more pictures about
Amrit Ruins check the Album) |
we
will show some samples of the ruins of fenced area
of the project:
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A
channel with a frieze, can be closed with a
pottery cover, the existence of the covered
channels show how civilized was
Amrit City. |
A
long channel covered by
a stony cover. |
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A
portal structure the inhabitants call it ((al
khan)), they said that it had a knotted ceiling
and big stones, which were cut and sold! |
In
front of the entrance appears a base of a
pillar, sculptured
of sandy stones. |
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The traces of the
excavation squares that were made by Muhammad
Raeef Haikal. |
The
Ruins of residential
constructions
spread in the area. |
A
thrill invaded me while I was reading the pages of
the newspaper, the same newspaper. While I
was still disappointed, with thousands of question
marks. When I saw the article of
Dr.Nadia Khost
“the fruits of tact and civilization” and I felt
that a divine care ,is refusing what’s happening to
Amrit today and it wants to protect it as it did
through thousands years to save that unique city
with its original Phoenician style until today
,despite the wounds on its body ,and the deepest one
is the these “touring” miserable projects.
From “the fruits of tact and civilization“,I picked
the following:
“
The 20st century which is featured by the
movement of people and the variety of the
transportation and communication means ,has launched
the cultural tourism which explores other
identities”
“ What attracted tourists till today to Syria is
that ,it is the cradle of human civilization because
it is the first cities of human beings , the first
alphabet , the royal archive of Ebla and the stony
dead cities”
“Cultural tourism requires a specialized study
,that classifies sites, buildings and houses , and
estimates their functions as accurate as the
goldsmith’s accuracy , and puts the suitable tracks
for them ,and determines their sanctity ,which
means a protecting atmosphere for them, usually such
study avoids dangers and loses which cannot be
compensated for. It enforces with the approved
measures the crossing of what’s called “the natural
sight” and the Archeological one, which doesn’t
allow the planting of a hotel upon the ancient port
of Tartus in the Old city. and prohibits the
deforming of “al husn” castle by a hotel inside it
,or building a hotel between the ruins of Palmyra
.allows the tourists to visit the houses of ,AL-Sibai,AL-Quatli,and
Nizam and the Palace of Al-athem, but it prohibits
them from living there. we still remember the
disjoinment of the touristic building which UNESCO
objected against in Palmyra “
“if we complied with this map which classifies
sites ,places and buildings with scientific measures
,we would have surrounded the wide project of
Cultural tourism , and avoided making it look like
the number of beds in a hotel”
“The ignorance of the historical and archeological
classification, and the ignorance of the used norms
of employing, the offering of tens if the Syrian
sites for investment companies ,that we don’t know
for sure the source of their money. One of those
sites is the Phoenician Amrit and historical
registered places and houses”
“we wish that the touristic project will cross the
caring about the number of beds, to surround the
essence of the cultural tourism which attracts
people to Syria, and to maintain the measures which
protect archeological sites exploitation. We wish
that the project will create a cultural guide about
the places of Syrian civilization, and to suggest
cultural projects for the tourists”
“Syria is attractive with its civilization,
deep-rooted in tasting art and poetry. This requires
starting from the beginning of culture.”
“today culture can support the touring projects
using the measures which keep illiteracy and
rudeness away, to protect the fruits of tact and
civilization”
At the end, I have to say; blessed are “the fruits
of tact and culture». and Wish a (hard luck)
literally for articles like (what’s the destiny of
the ‘‘Amrit’’ company for investment and tourism?)!!
Traslated by: Anas Abbas
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