71

In Damascus, the architectural heritage of the xixth and xxth Centuries bears the influence of two periods of foreign domination. The first was the rule of the Ottoman Empire, up to 1919, the second was the French protectorate that prevailed during France’s mandate (1920-1946). The city grew and developed under the influence of successive architectural styles and town planning approaches that surged in from the West. Damascus is now a much-expanded city. The new buildings and revised urban layout have injected modernity into the city and created a national heritage. In Syria, the heritage from historical times and more distant antiquity is well acknowledged and protected. Yet the notion of conserving a more recent and contemporary heritage arouses a great deal of debate. There is much ongoing discussion on the issues involved in heritage conservation and the limits to which this ethos can be stretched.