#CultureUnderThreat Smart M.App

The interactive map program base includes current high-resolution satellite imagery maps and displays the destruction of heritage sites in the Middle East and North Africa. The Smart M.App’s satellite imagery base paired with the metrics for viewing multiple data combinations provides unique insights into cultural cleansing that were not previously available through standard GIS maps.

The Culture Under Threat Smart M.App temporally illustrates losses to date with easy to use time and date slide bars showing when incidents took place.

Unlike previous maps that show a static time set, the Culture Under Threat Smart M.App timeline can be used to understand how destruction has evolved across the broader MENA region at a given time.

The ability to view this timeline with any combination of data sets allows for a unique examination of patterns.

This allows experts to not only quantify data across a wide region, but provides an opportunity to understand the types of patterns that are occurring which can better inform them in the development of solutions to the critical threats caused by cultural cleansing.

This map is interactive and user-friendly, it is designed to be explored and clicked throughout and can be accessed using all browsers, computers, tablets and smartphones.

• To zoom, click the “+” or “-” buttons on the map – zooming will spread the numbered icons as the map gets more detailed.
• Zooming into full depth will reveal the latest available Digital Globe satellite imagery in any given area.
• To see more information about each site marked, click on the icon of your choice to see the pop-up of information.
• To see charts with data by type – click on the 3 bar icon to the right and select “Charts”, this will give options to view a pie chart with groups responsible for destruction as well as the option to view timeline.
  • For the timeline, select a span of time to view incidents by date of occurrence.
  • For the suspected group pie chart, click on any group in the chart to view incidents by selected group responsible.
• Metrics for both the suspected group chart and the timeline can be viewed in any combination to see the metrics available.

Click around and explore!

LAYER: ‘Terror Controlled’

What it Displays: A map of areas that are under the direct control of terrorist groups or threatened by areas they have occupied between January and October 2015. Information from no earlier than 2015 was included due to the continually shifting nature of the MENA conflicts. The terrorist groups included in this map were based on terror groups as defined by the National Counterterrorism Center.

Sources of Information: Institute for Study of War (ISW), the Carter Center Syrian Conflict Mapping Project, National Counterterrorism Center and international media reports on terror-controlled territories.

LAYER: ‘Incidents’

What it Displays: A map of cultural heritage sites that have been deliberately targeted for destruction, demolition, or attack by violent extremist non-state actors and organizations. This layer includes sites that have been damaged, destroyed or attacked from January 2011 to January 2016. This does not include sites that have been destroyed as a result of collateral damage in conflict.

Sources of Information: This map was developed in collaboration with Endangered Archaeology of the Middle East and North Africa (EAMENA) using reports from the ASOR Cultural Heritage Initiatives as well as the Association for the Protection of Syrian Archaeology (APSA). Additionally, reports were sourced from media and social media dating back to January 2011.

LAYER: ‘Heritage Sites’

What it Displays: A complete mapping of all of the UNESCO World Heritage Listed sites and Tentatively listed sites in the Arab League states.

Source of Information: UNESCO World Heritage Center.

LAYER: Museums Locations

What it Displays: A mapping of local and national museums dedicated specifically to archaeology, history and/or religion within each nation of focus.

Sources of Information: The 21st Edition of the Museums of the World (2014) as well as the ministries of tourism and/or antiquities for each of the nations addressed.

LAYER: ‘Hot Spots’

What it Displays: A heat map of areas with the highest concentrations of incidents of destruction. This layer includes data from heritage sites that have been damaged, destroyed or attacked from January 2011 to January 2016.

Sources of Information: Hot spot data is derived from the ‘Incidents’ layer and calculated to display the areas of highest concentrations of deliberate heritage destruction.