Financing of Cultural Heritage Projects in Syria during the Crisis Reality, Opportunities and Challenges

Abstract

Funding for heritage projects in Syria is usually from public funds. Heritage projects are more successful when additional opportunities for private sector participation are available as an alternative to public funding. Syria suffers from the absence of legislation or relevant legal and administrative requirements that allow the use of public-private partnerships in heritage projects. Public-private partnerships can bridge the government financing gap and provide interesting investment opportunities for the private sector, but they require the development of a legal, institutional, political and administrative environment to provide development opportunities. The purpose of this study is to identify important characteristics of cultural heritage projects and to analyze their financing options. Collaboration can be made with sectors involved in heritage projects and their potential role in preserving and rebuilding cultural heritage. The research explores issues and options related to financing project investments and policy options in the cultural heritage sector in Syria. The research attempts to analyze the reality of cultural heritage projects in Syria, and attempt to reveal the possibility of establishing a fund to preserve cultural heritage in cooperation with the public and private sectors and the local community, and analyze the opportunities, threats and measures necessary for the possibility of the Syrian Heritage Fund working during the crisis and post-crisis. The study adopted on the analytical descriptive methodology, used Microsoft Word to reach the desired goals of the research. The study concluded that the Syrian Cultural Heritage Fund should be established to support heritage projects, and involve the local community, stakeholders, and the private sector in financing cultural heritage projects. The study recommended the need to raise the standard of living of the local community by integrating cultural heritage sites in economic, social and cultural development projects in government plans; to restore social and political stability so that this heritage takes its natural role in the upcoming development and economic plans.