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Lloyd Sealy Library
John Jay College of Criminal Justice

Middle East, Near East and North Africa: Syria

Guide to resources on the Middle East and North Africa with a focus on the current events in Syria, Egypt, Turkey and elsewhere in the Near and Middle Eastern world. This is a work in progress.

Syrian Refugee and Cultural Heritage Crises

ASOR (American Schools of Oriental Research) Syrian Heritage Initative Project is a cooperative agreement between ASOR and the U.S. Department of State that is designed to document, protect, and preserve the cultural heritage of war-torn Syria. Hundreds of significant heritage sites have been damaged since fighting began in 2011. See their weekly reports page and/or follow them on facebook. 

SNAP (Syria Needs Analysis Project), is a project aimed at supporting the humanitarian response in Syria and neighbouring countries by providing an independent analysis of the humanitarian situation of those affected by the Syrian and regional crisis.

AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science), Geospatial Technologies and Human Rights Project

APSA (Association for the Protection of Syrian Archaeology)

Deutsches Archäologisches Institut (DAI), Damaskus

ICOM (International Council of Museums), Emergency Red List of Syrian Cultural Objects at Risk

s h i r ī n (Syrian Heritage in Danger: an International Research Initiative and Network)

UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), Armed Conflict and Heritage and Safeguarding Syrian Cultural Heritage

Blogs and Media Indexes

Syria Al Jazeera, has up-to-date information about the situation in Syria with a Middle Eastern perspective. See also Syria: A Broken Nation

Syria Comment Joshua Landis (director of the Center for Middle East Studies), focuses on Syrian history, politics, and religion.

Syria Conflict BBC news offers up to date information and commentary on the Syrian conflict.

Syria The NY Times indexes their news items on Syria here.

Syria Deeply aggegates news, facts, statistics and opinon on Syria

Iraq and Syria in the News from the ASOR Syrian Heritage Initative.

Books on Syria

Try searching the following keyword subject in CUNY+

Refugees -- Syria.

Syria -- History -- Civil War, 2011-

Protest movements and Syria and 2011

Human rights and Syria

Syria

Syria and Foreign relations and United States

Syria and History

Syria and Politics and Government

Country Profile, Syria, 2005

Human Rights Watch, Syria Many reports written by HRW as well as the latest human rights news from Syria can be accessed through this page.

Online News Sources on ISIS/ISIL

The New York Times A visual guide to the crisis in Iraq and Syria.  has a constantly updated visual guide to the activities of ISIS/ISIL and the world response.  Maps are provided of airstrikes and refugees as well as links to further information.

The Guardian Newspaper (UK) has a webpage that offers "The latest news and comment on the Islamic State (Isis) militant group."

Rare Islamic State visit reveals 'brutal and strong' force. BBC News Website.
 
Kathy Gilsinan (October 29, 2015, updated November 15, 2015) The Confused Person's Guide to the Syrian Civil War: A brief primer. The Atlantic Magazine