Will Spiers is a policy researcher and writer based in London. Will read history at undergraduate, then completed a Masters in Political Science at the American University of Beirut
Book Club: Ammar Azzouz's 'Domicide' offers a compelling blueprint for the reconstruction of urban areas of conflict. Drawing on his city of Homs, Ammar redefines architectural concerns and envisions new means of communal, sustainable urban planning.
UNESCO's response to Syria shows how cultural heritage has been politicised. Through the lens of six of Syria's most treasured sites, we're able to see how preservation efforts have been hampered and how the Syrian people have been left behind.
In Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli lies the modernist architectural ruin of the Rachid Karami International Fair. A relic of Lebanon's colonial past, the fair offered a utopic dream but now stands as a harsh reminder of Lebanon's failings.
Home to the world's first skyscrapers, the ancient Yemeni city of Shibam has weathered the storm of time for nearly half a millennia. But a combination of climate change and the Yemeni Civil War could now threaten to bring the city to the ground.
Efforts to destroy Iraq's variegated heritage remain. Spanning four millennia, Iraq hosts a wealth of intangible global heritage, from the Assyrian city of Ashura to the Abbasid's seat in Samarra. Regrettably, both of these sites are now in danger.
UNESCO's World Heritage list consecrates sites or areas of cultural significance. The Arab world's foundational role in human civilisation has meant the region is awash with protected sites, however, a lot of these sites are now at risk of collapse.
