UNESCO Beirut and IFPO launch the book “The metal crafts in Aleppo- legacy and posterity”
Under the patronage of Professor Fouad Ayoub, rector of the Lebanese University, UNESCO and Ifpo cordially invite you to the presentation of the publication "L'artisanat du métal à Alep : Héritage et postérité", by
Moheb Chanesaz, Assistant Professor at the Lebanese University
Institute of Social Sciences, on Wednesday May 9 2018 at 17h00,
Rector’s conference room at the Lebanese University, facing the National Museum.
Tel. Ifpo 01.420 291/293
Contact: diffusion-Ifpo@ifporient.org ; n.meouchy@ifporient.org
This publication is issued at a time when the cultural heritage in Syria, both tangible and intangible, is highly at risk and when the threat jeopardizing the cultural expressions is stronger than ever. In this endangered context, where the tensions and conflicts are raging, UNESCO commits to support the Syrian people for the safeguarding of their cultural heritage by fighting the destruction of the historical monuments, the illicit trafficking of antiquities and the loss of the traditional practices and know-hows of the country.
The book entitled “The metal crafts in Aleppo- legacy and posterity” is a co-publication between UNESCO and the French Institute of the Middle East, that emphasizes the practices related to the traditional handicraft of metallurgy transmitted from a generation to another in Aleppo, a city included in the UNESCO World Heritage list and strongly damaged by the conflicts. This publication describes the work of the blacksmiths, the craftsmen of copper and bronze, and the tinsmiths of Aleppo. It also mentions the tools used, the different phases of the manufacturing process, and the shops of the craftsmen. Unfortunately, a large number of people from Aleppo who fled the city also took with them the expertise inherited by their ancestors. To ensure its transmission from generation to generation, the intangible cultural heritage, which provides communities with a sense of identity and continuity, must be regularly practiced.
This principle is based on the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, which aims to protect the practices, the representations, the expressions, the knowledge and the expertise. Safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage ensures that it will always play an active role in the lives of the current generations. Particularly in conflict situations, the intangible cultural heritage acts as a powerful tool of resilience and recovery that can be beneficial to affected communities. By supporting the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage, and more specifically the craft practices that are currently at risk, member states commit to defend the cultural rights of communities and respect the cultural diversity of their countries.
This publication is an important contribution to the safeguarding of this threatened intangible heritage.
The publication is produced under the framework of the “Emergency Safeguarding of the Syrian Cultural Heritage” project which is a pioneering initiative funded by the European Union and supported by the Flemish Government and Austria. The main objective of the project is to contribute to restoring social cohesion, stability, and sustainable development through the protection and safeguarding of cultural heritage in view of the on-going and growing destruction and loss of Syria’s rich and unique cultural heritage.
The book, available in Arabic and in French, will be launched on 9 May 2018 at the Lebanese University in Beirut. The launch presentation is held under the patronage of the Rector of the Lebanese University, Professor Fouad Ayoub.Mr. Moheb Chanesaz one of the authors and Assistant Professor at the Lebanese University, will give a presentation.
This book will become available online as of the fall of 2018; further information and details will be sent out closer to the time.
** To facilitate your entry we will kindly ask you to provide us with a valid identity card
Events calendar: http://www.ifporient.org/agenda
Publications: http://www.ifporient.org/publications
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