Our Pain, their Heritage Project: From the Palmyra Moment to Violence and the City

Cultural heritage sites, such as Palmyra, have been weaponized and destroyed during conflicts, often leading to global attention but failing to engage with local communities. This study reveals that such projects frequently overlook the inhabitants of these sites and treat them as isolated monuments rather than living urban entities. It highlights how Palmyra has been exploited as a stage for foreign powers' performances while neglecting the broader context of slow and fast violence in cities. The research approach involves analyzing the trajectory from the 'Palmyra Moment'—a cinematic image of destruction—to an understanding of ongoing urban violence, questioning how these sites are used and abused globally.

Azzouz, A. (2022). Our Pain, their Heritage Project: From the Palmyra Moment to Violence and the City. Change over Time, 11(2), 162–180. https://doi.org/10.1353/cot.2022.0005