- Most of the contracts for the historic palaces in Homs have been granted to the "Al-Ta’ir" (The Bird) company for commercial exploitation, in exchange for rudimentary restoration work carried out by basic carpentry and concrete crews. We call upon the Minister to publish these agreements—or what he terms the "loaning" of these palaces—and to clarify the duration of such arrangements.
- The "Al-Ta’ir" company is licensed as a general trading firm and possesses absolutely no experience in the restoration of archaeological sites. One of its owners is Imad Yahya, the son of Mustafa Yahya—a known supporter of both Assad and Hezbollah.
- The Subhi Shuaib Palace was handed over to the "Homs Wednesday" (Arba’a Homs) association—via the "Al-Ta’ir" company—to be restored and used as a private venue for the group, which effectively acts as the Minister’s proxy in Homs.
- How can the handover of the Al-Zahrawi Palace to a private company be justified when it fails to protect 1,300-year-old human remains and pottery vessels found within the archaeological burial site? While the Ministry might view these remains as mere bones, for researchers and historians, they represent an invaluable scientific and archaeological treasure.
- There is deep-seated resentment among the people of Homs regarding the actions of the Minister and his associates—a situation that has not gone unnoticed by the leadership.
- Indeed, the Minister’s resignation has been a serious topic of discussion for the past week. He is aware of this, but arrangements are currently being made to ensure his departure is handled in a way that allows him to save face, rather than being outright dismissed.
- The Minister has established an informal "syndicate" of social media influencers—both inside and outside Syria—tasked primarily with defending him and the Ministry; this group operates with its own lists and budget.
- The people of Homs are the guardians of their city’s heritage; they will not allow an inexperienced company—owned by the son of an Assad supporter—to take control of the city’s magnificent historical landmarks. - Several government bodies are investigating the matter of the palaces—both from a regulatory and a criminal perspective—and the coming days will likely reveal a great deal.
- The Minister of Culture’s visit to the Al-Zahrawi Palace today was covered by 15 social media influencers—perhaps the largest number of influencers ever to cover a minister’s visit to a historical site in the history of Syria.
- The campaign directed against "Zaman Al-Wasl"—which is based on an entirely fabricated image—will not deter the outlet from defending Syria and its impoverished people, even if an official were to gather 100 influencers around him.
Zaman Al Wasl
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