Posted on 05/04/2026 5:58:40 PM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege
In the Syrian conscience, April is not limited to World Heritage Day celebrated on April 18. Rather, the month unfolds as a full season of cultural rebirth, stretching from the ancient roots of Akitu to the solemnity of Easter and the feast of St. George, as well as the memory of the massacres of 1915 and Syria’s Independence Day.
Within this time crowded with memory, the restoration of Syrian icons emerges as an act of safeguarding identity. It repairs the fractures of time and restores to sacred figures the radiance of a history that runs deep, declaring that protecting this heritage is not a cultural luxury but a struggle for survival carried out quietly by Syrian hands.
In this context, visual artist and restorer Lia Snayej shared the path that led her into this delicate field. She said that seeing icons burned, damaged by gunfire, or covered with layers of black residue while participating in an exhibition was a shocking experience. That moment pushed her to explore restoration more deeply, before she later specialized in the field academically through a master’s degree in Russia.
Snayej said restoration brings together history, chemistry, and art, adding that protecting an icon is, at its core, protecting history.
She explained that the work begins with studying the history of the piece and its artistic background before preparing a precise restoration plan. Not every icon, she noted, needs restoration; some require only preservation and measures to stop further deterioration. Each icon has its own condition, making restoration similar to medical treatment, with each case requiring a different diagnosis.
Snayej said the main stages of restoration include stabilizing the paint layer using special materials such as “Japanese paper,” followed by cleaning...
(Excerpt) Read more at ewtnnews.com ...
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Every time there is one of these Israel-supported “Regime Changes” the Christian minority in those countries pays the price.
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