Khaled al-Asaad

Khaled al-Asaad

Khaled al-Asaad in 2002
Born Khaled Mohamad al-Asaad
1 January 1934
Tadmur, Syria
Died 18 August 2015 (aged 81)
Tadmur, Syria
Cause of death Murder by beheading
Alma mater University of Damascus
Occupation Archaeologist
Known for Head of antiquities in Palmyra

Khaled al-Asaad (Arabic pronunciation: [ɐlʔæsʕæd] Arabic: خالد الأسعد‎‎ (1 January 1934[1][2] – 18 August 2015), also Khaled Asaad, was a Syrian archaeologist and the head of antiquities for the ancient city of Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. He held this position for over 40 years.[3] Al-Asaad was publicly beheaded by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) on 18 August 2015. He was 81 years old.[3]

Early life, education and family

Al-Asaad was born in Palmyra, Syria, in 1932 or 1934, and lived there most of his life.[1] He held a diploma in history and was educated at the University of Damascus.[4] Al-Asaad was the father of eleven children; six sons and five daughters, one of whom was named Zenobia after the well-known Palmyrene queen.[4]

Career

Archeologist

During his career, he engaged in the excavations and restoration of Palmyra. He had become the principal custodian of the Palmyra site for 40 years since 1963.[5] His own expeditions focused on the late third-century ramparts of Palmyra.[6] He worked with American, Polish, German, French and Swiss archaeological missions. His achievement is the elevation of Palmyra to a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[4] He was also fluent in Aramaic and regularly translated texts until 2011.[3]

From 1974 onward, Al-Assad organised exhibitions of Palmyran antiques.[7]

In 2001, he announced the discovery of 700 7th-century silver coins bearing images of Kings Khosru I and Khosru II, part of the Sassanid dynasty that ruled Persia before the Muslim conquest. In 2003, he was part of a Syrian-Polish team that uncovered a 3rd-century mosaic which portrayed a struggle between a human and a winged animal. He described it as "one of the most precious discoveries ever made in Palmyra".[1][4]

He was a sought-after speaker at conferences, presenting his vigorous and extensive research. Leading academics and researchers spoke warmly of his affection for Palmyra and his mastery of its history.[1] When he retired in 2003, his son Walid took on the mantle of his work at the site of Palmyra. They both were reportedly detained by ISIS in August 2015; the fate of his son is not yet known.[2]

Politics

It is believed that he joined the Syrian Ba'ath Party around 1954.[4] However, it is not clear whether he was an active supporter of the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad.[2] According to The Economist, some have said he was a "staunch supporter" of Assad.[8]

Death

In May 2015, Tadmur (the modern city of Palmyra) and the adjacent ancient city of Palmyra came under the control of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Al-Asaad helped evacuate the city museum prior to ISIS's takeover.[4] Al-Asaad was among those captured during this time, and ISIS attempted to get al-Asaad to reveal the location of the ancient artifacts that he had helped to hide.[9] He was murdered in Tadmur on 18 August 2015 at the age of 81.

The New York Times reported:

After detaining him for weeks, the jihadists dragged him on Tuesday to a public square where a masked swordsman cut off his head in front of a crowd, Mr. Asaad's relatives said. His blood-soaked body was then suspended with red twine by its wrists from a traffic light, his head resting on the ground between his feet, his glasses still on, according to a photo distributed on social media by Islamic State supporters.[10]

A placard hanging from the waist of his dead body listed al-Asaad's alleged crimes: being an "apostate", representing Syria at "infidel conferences", serving as "the director of idolatry" in Palmyra, visiting "Heretic Iran" and communicating with a brother in the Syrian security services.[10]

His body was reportedly displayed in the new section of Palmyra (Tadmur) and then in the ancient section, whose treasures ISIS had already demolished.[9][10][11][12][13]

In addition to al-Asaad, Qassem Abdullah Yehya, the Deputy Director of the DGAM Laboratories, also protected the Palmyra site. He also was killed by ISIL while on duty on 12 August 2015. He was 37 years old.[14]

Reactions

Honours and medals

Syrian honors

Foreign honors

Selected publications

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Khaled al-Asaad: Authority on the antiquities of the Syrian city of Palmyra who was devoted to studying and protecting its treasures". The Independent. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 "Profile: Khaled al-Asaad, Syria's 'Mr Palmyra'". BBC. 19 August 2015. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 "Syrian archaeologist 'killed in Palmyra' by IS militants". BBC News. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Davies, Caroline (19 August 2015). "Khaled al-Asaad profile: the Howard Carter of Palmyra". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  5. ↑ Paraszczuk, Joanna (24 August 2015). "ISIS Killed Khalid al-Assad for Refusing to Betray Palmyra". The Atlantic. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  6. ↑ "Khaled al-Asaad obituary". Telegraph. 2 September 2015. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  7. ↑ Pierre Leriche. "Khaled al-Asaad, the martyr of Palmyra". The Conversation. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  8. ↑ "Islamic State and antiquities: Nothing is sacred". The Economist. 22 August 2015. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  9. 1 2 Aji, Albert; Mroue, Bassem (19 August 2015). "Islamic State beheads Syrian antiquities scholar in ancient town of Palmyra". US News & World Report. Associated Press. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Hubbard, Ben (19 August 2015). "Shielding Syrian Antiquities, to a Grisly Death at ISIS' Hands". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
  11. ↑ Islamic State militants behead archaeologist in Palmyra – Syrian official, Reuters, 18 August 2015.
  12. ↑ IS tötet früheren Chef-Archäologen von Palmyra, tagesschau.de, 19 August 2015.(German)
  13. 1 2 "Beheaded Syrian scholar refused to lead Isis to hidden Palmyra antiquities". The Guardian. 19 August 2015.
  14. ↑ "Article: Two more 'EverySyrian' heroes murdered while protecting our shared cultural heritage". OpEdNews. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  15. ↑ "Italy's museums honour archaeologist murdered by Isil". theartnewspaper.com. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  16. ↑ "Franceschini: "Bandiere a mezz'asta nei musei italiani in memoria di Khaled Asaad"". Il Secolo XIX. 20 August 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  17. ↑ "UNESCO condemns ISIS beheading of Palmyra archeologist". Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  18. ↑ "All civilised people must condemn murder of al-Asaad by IS: Aligarh Historians Society". The Times of India. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  19. ↑ "Legislative decree on granting archeologist Khaled al-Asaad Syrian Order of Merit of excellent degree". Syrian Arab News Agency. sana.sy. 19 August 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
  20. ↑ "داعش يذبح أهم شخصية للآن ويعلقه على عمود بالطريق – منوعات" (in Arabic). akhbrksa.com. 19 August 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  21. ↑ "Mattarella all'inaugurazione degli Arsenali "Pisa importante per il Paese"" (in Italian). Pisatoday. 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
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