As the world continues to witness the erasure of historic landmarks and cultural memory in conflict zones, Syrian-born author and broadcaster Siwar Al Assad is calling for a renewed international commitment to the preservation of Middle Eastern heritage. Through his work with the Aramea Foundation and his acclaimed book Palmyre pour toujours, Al Assad is amplifying a message many have overlooked: cultural loss is not collateral damage. It is a war on identity.

“Palmyra was more than a city. It was a symbol. When its stones fell, a part of humanity's story fell with it,” Al Assad says. “The urgency to protect cultural heritage isn't just about saving monuments. It’s about saving meaning.”

A passionate advocate for peace and memory, Siwar Al Assad has long emphasized the need for international cooperation in safeguarding historical sites. As director of the Aramea Foundation, a London-based non-profit focused on Levantine cultural preservation and refugee support, Al Assad has consistently urged governments, institutions, and the public to treat cultural protection as an essential component of peacebuilding.

His book Palmyre pour toujours, a poignant literary homage to the ancient Syrian oasis of Palmyra, resonates now more than ever. Weaving personal memory with historical reflection, the book draws parallels between Palmyra and other cultural centers such as Carthage and Timbuktu, places once rich with life, now forever altered.

The ongoing geopolitical instability in the Middle East, paired with recent acts of destruction targeting cultural landmarks, has only deepened the relevance of Al Assad’s message. From the shattered ruins of Mosul to the endangerment of Gaza’s heritage institutions, cultural annihilation continues to be a quiet tragedy on the world stage.

“There’s often silence when a bookshop is bombed or a library burned,” Al Assad notes. “But these are not small losses. These are attacks on memory, on knowledge, and on the soul of a people.”

Al Assad’s voice is gaining international attention not just for his literature but for the moral clarity he brings to cultural discourse. His novels, including Guard Thy Heart, A Coeur Perdu, and Le temps d’une saison, often explore the emotional terrain of memory, loss, and displacement. Yet Palmyre pour toujours stands apart as a call to action. It is, in Al Assad’s words, “a reminder to remember.”

With ongoing support from cultural foundations and Middle Eastern scholars, the Aramea Foundation is now seeking partnerships with the people to preserve endangered Syrian culture.

About the Author:

Siwar Al Assad is a multilingual Syrian author known for A Coeur Perdu, Guard Thy Heart, Le Temps d’une Saison, and Palmyre Pour Toujours. He is the founder of the Aramea Foundation and serves as the director of Arab News Network. His fiction and nonfiction work explores themes of identity, memory, exile, and emotional recovery.

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