As of January 25, UNESCO has confirmed damage to 22 cultural heritage sites in the Gaza Strip due to Israeli bombardment. This includes the full or partial destruction and damage of five religious sites, ten historically and/or artistically significant buildings, two repositories of movable cultural property, one monument, one museum, and three archaeological sites. Notable sites impacted include the historic Great Al-Omari Mosque, one of Palestine’s oldest mosques; the Pasha Palace; and the Saint Porphyrius Church campus, located in the heart of Gaza’s old city. We invite you to join a virtual conversation with Dr. Akram M. Lilja on Thursday, February 15. This event will address the extent of destruction and damage inflicted on Gaza’s historical and heritage sites. It will be an opportunity to learn about the importance of these sites, their significance to Palestinians and to all of humanity, and why their destruction amounts to a war crime.
When: Thursday, February 15th, 2024 | 12 PM EST
Where: Zoom
Speaker’s Bio: Akram M. Lilja, PhD is a researcher and a guest professor in historic conservation and cultural heritage in Sweden. Lilja has published on issues of cultural heritage in conflict, social capital, colonialism and cultural identity of indigenous people, and Heritage Tourism. Dr. Lilja is a public speaker on social justice, children in war and cultural heritage under attack. He received his PhD in sustainable economic development and Public Affairs from Cleveland State University, Ohio, USA in 2008 and post-doctoral fellow at University of Michigan and post-doctoral fellow at Uppsala University in Sweden. Dr. Lilja served in the position of the director general of the department of archaeology and cultural heritage in Palestine before he moved to work in the academic arena. Dr. Lilja served as part-time professor at Al Azhar University of Gaza and full-time professor in Architecture at the University of Palestine-Gaza.
