Скачать или смотреть Taiz heritage victim of war and neglect

(3 Feb 2020) LEAD IN:
Yemen's third largest city is at risk of losing its heritage and history.
Archeological sites in Taiz are victims of neglect and targets of the country's protracted conflict.

STORY-LINE:
The famous Muslim scholar and explorer Ibn Battuta once called Taiz "one of the most beautiful and extensive cities of Yemen".
But the city's heritage, rich with old citadels, Islamic schools and mosques, is now in danger.
"Unfortunately, the war severely affected the archaeological sites directly and indirectly," says local historian Mounir Talal.
Warring parties used and targeted historical sites in the fighting.
In 2015, an airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition hit al-Qahira or Cairo castle.
A 16th-century mosque was also reportedly blown up by Sunni extremists in the summer of 2016.
The Iran-backed Houthi rebels have been at war with Yemen's internationally recognized government since 2014, when the Houthis took control of the capital, Sanaa.
That move prompted a coalition of Gulf Arab countries, led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, to begin a military campaign the following year in support of the internationally recognized government.
The city of Taiz has had its share of the fighting.
It has known protracted military confrontations and suffered from sieges imposed by the Houthi rebels.
Though civilians have paid the largest price in the conflict, they are still keen on protecting their heritage.
The historic city was originally a fortified position during the rule of the Sulayhid dynasty that ruled Yemen in the 11th and 12th centuries.
Many schools and archaeological sites were also built during the Rasulid dynasty that took Taiz as capital, according to World Monument Fund, a conservation nonprofit.
The most famous landmarks in the city are the Ashrafiyah mosque as well as the old citadel.

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