Dans le camp de réfugiés de Za’atari, aux frontières de la Jordanie, le peintre syrien Mahmoud Hariri et son groupe d’artistes imaginent et sculptent des maquettes des monuments historiques syriens détruits, pour ne jamais les oublier. Plusieurs régions ont été ravagées par les conflits qui sévissent dans leur pays. Pour ne mentionner que quelques lieux historiques qu’ils ont reconstruits en répliques miniatures : la Palmyre, la cité d’Alep, le pont Deir ez-Zor et la Mosquée Umayyad à Alep. Dans une interview pour la UN Refugee Agency, Mahmoud Hariri déclare « qu’en tant qu’artistes, ils ont un rôle important de mémoire et qu’il est de leur devoir de laisser des traces de leur architecture ».
Mahmoud Hariri, constructing a model of Palmyra with clay and wooden kebab skewers.
Ismail Hariri carving a monument out of a large volcanic stone found at camp. Ismail was an interior designer before being forced to flee to Jordan with his wife and children in 2013. He has contributed several sculptures to the project.
The Citadel of Aleppo, built in the 13th century, and located in one of the oldest cities in the world. Once a popular tourist site, it was then converted to a station used by combatants after fighting broke out in Syria in 2012. It has since been bombed several times.
A replica of the statue of Ayyubid Sultan Saladin, a military and political leader famous for leading the Muslim opposition to the European Crusaders in the 12th century. It remains in the city of Damascus, which has not been as heavily damaged yet.
The Deir ez-Zor suspension bridge was built in 1927 for pedestrians to cross over the Euphrates River in north-eastern Syria. It was destroyed by shelling in 2013.
The Umayyad Mosque of Aleppo, built between the 8th and 13th century remains a famous holy site. Said to be one of the largest and oldest mosques in the world, it served as a key battle ground in the Syrian conflict before being destroyed by bombings in 2013.
A replica of the Norias of Hamas, a 66-foot water wheel built along the Orontes River over 750 years ago; used to lift pots of water to higher elevation by making use of the power generated by the current.
