visible scars- shattered museums, bombed monuments, looted artefacts- other threats persist in the Arab world, notes Isber Sabrine, researcher at the Milá and Fontanals Institute for Humanities Research of the Spanish National Research Council and President of Heritage for Peace( H4P).“ Many people are not educated about heritage in the Arab world, and this is critical,” says Sabrine. He adds that much scholarship is also published in European languages rather than Arabic, creating barriers that further limit local engagement during and after conflicts.
CIVIL SOCIETY AND LOCAL INITIATIVES
Sabrine says states at war, preoccupied with other priorities, often cannot protect heritage, leaving civil society to“ step up.” This is why he says H4P, a Spanish NGO founded in 2013 to safeguard cultural heritage in conflict areas, prioritizes education, training, and building local capacity. With funding crucial for preservation, H4P also teaches initiatives how to fundraise and connect with international donors. He cites Palmyrene Voices and Rafekatuna, both launched by H4P in Syria, as successful examples that safeguard the essence of Palmyra and Raqqa’ s heritage while supporting ongoing restoration efforts.
EMPOWERING LOCAL CUSTODIANS
WMF, with six decades of experience in over 100 countries, similarly emphasizes empowering local custodians as the best safeguard.“ In many conflict zones, international experts are unable to travel safely, making it difficult to assess damage and implement conservation measures,” says de Montlaur. She notes, retaining skills locally allows communities to protect sites or mitigate damage.
In Yemen’ s Old City of Ta’ izz, which has seen some of the worst fighting during the ongoing civil war, WMF has partnered with the General Organization of Antiquities and Museums to conserve urgent sites. Local heritage professionals trained by WMF have stabilized the Ottoman-era mausoleum Qubbat al-Husayniyah, completed conservation of the Imam Palace in the Ta’ izz Museum complex, and are rehabilitating Hammam al- Mudhaffar, one of the country’ s oldest bathhouses. Through capacity-building initiatives in Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, and Jordan, WMF trains heritage professionals in documentation, stabilization, and conservation. De Montlaur says this helps communities reclaim their heritage, build resilience, and recover even after deliberate destruction. people. It’ s not just about protecting heritage,” he stresses. H4P projects support over 80 people in Yemen and around 120 in Syria.
SAFEGUARDING HOPES FOR THE FUTURE
Beyond the efforts of organizations and civil society initiatives, individuals with local knowledge, expertise, and strong motivation, like Al-Utol, remain vital in safeguarding heritage.
After enduring 18 months of war, Al-Utol left Gaza in late March 2025 and now works at the Geneva Museum of Art and History. Though far from the sites he spent his life preserving, he continues to protect them. On 10 September, when he learnt of Israeli plans to strike the French archaeological storage facility, he worked tirelessly from abroad to save what he could. A negotiated delay in the Israeli attack allowed him to direct the local team on what to prioritize for transfer. By 11 September, despite scarce time, inadequate packaging, and unsuitable trucks, about 70 % of the items were rescued. What remained was destroyed in an Israeli air strike on 14 September.
Al-Utol says he acts out of dedication and his love for his country’ s heritage.“ I want to protect our antiquities and to prove that no matter how much they destroy, there are specialists who can restore- and to show them that no matter what they ruin, they will never erase our history,” Al- Utol says. He adds that one day the destruction in Gaza will end, and specialists will return to restore its historic heritage.
Aerial view, Ta ' izz, Yemen. Once Yemen ' s cultural capital, Ta ' izz has endured fierce civil war fighting. Since 2018, WMF has worked with local professionals to conserve damaged heritage landmarks. Photo: Birgitt Pajarola for World Monuments Fund
Building on its regional capacity work, WMF is supporting the reopening of Iraq’ s MCM, the country’ s second-largest museum, set to reopen in 2026, in partnership with the Iraqi State Board of Antiquities, the Louvre, the Smithsonian, and the Swiss Foundation ALIPH.“ Restoration can be deeply symbolic and can even provide economic opportunity,” de Montlaur notes. Echoing this, Sabrine underlines how H4P initiatives in Syria and Yemen create vital income opportunities, arguing that despite the ongoing instability, investment in culture remains crucial.“ These are humanitarian projects. They provide immediate income for
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