WHAT’S THE STORY?

WITH the war in Syria well into its seventh year, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has teamed up with internet giant Google to give people a different view of the war-torn country in an interactive, online presentation at https://searchingforsyria.org/en/ Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, describes it as “the biggest humanitarian and refugee crisis of our time”, which has seen more than five million Syrians fleeing the bombs and bullets that have devastated their homeland.

The production offers two views of Syria which, for most of us, will be new.

“We explore Jordan’s Za’atari refugee camp in a somewhat different light,” says UNHCR. “If you’ve never been to Syria, here’s your chance to roam the souks in the heart of Damascus, discover the ancient ruins of Palmyra and meet some of the friendly locals.

“Was life in pre-war Syria really that different to your own? We reckon you might spot a few surprising similarities.”


LIKE WHAT?

WHAT people searched for on the internet is one example. Before the latest fighting broke out in 2011, Syria was a bustling, vibrant country with a population of more than 22 million, many of whom led similar lives to people in other developing countries.

Music, fashion and sport were among the most popular pastimes, and in 2010 the most popular internet search terms were Arab Idol, bodybuilding, summer fashion and Miley Cyrus. FC Barcelona videos were popular on YouTube and, also in 2010, Gorillaz — the virtual band created by Blur’s Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett — became the biggest Western band to play there.

It had a flourishing tourist industry, with more visitors than Australia – 8.5 million compared to 5.8 million. This industry was worth $6.3bn (£4.8bbn) in 2010 and was projected to reach $8bn (£6.2bn) by the following year. Instead the 2011 figure plummeted to just $1.8bn (£1.3bn).

Tourists would flock to Syria to explore ancient Roman ruins, massive deserts and bustling bazaars, along with pristine beaches and mosques from the early days of Islam.

Syria has been a centre of art and culture since 3,000 BC and was immensely proud of its unique art and architecture, which was shaped by many civilisations – including Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and Islamic. Damascus was the Arab City of Culture in 2008.


WHAT HAPPENED?

MIDDLE Eastern countries have long been volatile and Syria is no different, with a history of conflict stretching for decades. Much of its air force was destroyed by Israel in the Six-Day War in 1967, which saws Israel seize the Golan Heights. Fast-forward to 2000, and the death of President Hafez al-Assad propelled his son — current President Bashar al-Assad — into office. He turned out to be not as enlightened as many had hoped and incorporated the military into his political regime.

In March, 2011, several teenagers painted anti-government graffiti on buildings in the southern city of Deraa and subsequent peaceful protests called for their release. However, these spread into larger demonstrations calling for democratic reform and security forces shot dead several protesters in Deraa. This triggered further unrest that resulted in the army and tanks being used to disperse the protests which, in turn, spiralled into the conflict we have now.

But UNHCR is not political – and neither is its presentation.


WHAT ELSE DOES IT TELL US?

IT gives the viewer a flavour of the Syria that was home to six UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Aleppo, which dates back to the 2nd millennium BC; 40 abandoned villages from the late Antiquity and Byzantine periods; Crac des Chevaliers and Qal’at Salah El-Din — two castles dating back to the Crusades; the ancient Roman ruins of Palmyra; archaeological ruins in the city of Bosra on the route to Mecca; and the capital Damascus, one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world.

The war has damaged or destroyed every one of them. For example, we see the splendid Great Umayyad Mosque of Aleppo in all its shining glory in 2009. Now, it bears more relation to a building site, illustrating that the Syria as it was no longer exists.

More than two million Syrians have been killed or injured — around 24,000 of them children.

The production also introduces us to some of the people who have fled Syria seeking refuge in other countries, including seven-year-old Bana, who became a social media phenomenon sharing her experience of war on Twitter.

She shared videos of bombs exploding outside her home in Aleppo, and her tweets are etched in many minds: “This is what remains of our childhood memories. Next to our house, I thought the bombs hit me.

“I don’t know if there are people inside the house. Why would they bomb us and kill innocent people everyday? — Bana”