“Heritage and Identity of Palestine” Panel at ITU

“In-between Occupation and Resilience: Preserving Heritage and Identity of Palestine” Panel brought together expert academics at ITU Taşkışla Campus on March 27, 2024.

At the “In-between Occupation and Resilience: Preserving Heritage and Identity of Palestine” Panel held at Istanbul Technical University, Taşkışla Campus on March 27, 2024, experts made presentations on the sociological, cultural and spatial effects of the occupation in Palestine.

Cultural heritage and spatial memory of Palestine

At the opening of the program, our Rector Prof. Dr. İsmail Koyuncu expressed that Istanbul Technical University condemns Israel for the ongoing occupation process and massacre in Gaza and emphasized the damage caused by the events in the region to the spatial memory of Palestine with the following words:

“While the Gaza Strip is being bombed, hundreds of historical artifacts, which are witnesses of the ancient history of the region, are also being destroyed. The Israeli state is systematically trying to destroy the historical identity, spatial memory and cultural memory of the settlements. Many cultural assets, especially historical mosques, churches and museums, which are the common cultural heritage of humanity, have been severely damaged and some structures have been completely demolished. This is undoubtedly a matter that constitutes a blatant crime under international law.”

Anatomy of spatial occupation

Following the opening speech, experts in the field made live connections and presentations on how Palestine’s heritage and identity can be preserved. During the day-long program, ideas and information were shared on topics such as the dynamics of Palestinian cultural heritage, Islamic architectural heritage under occupation, anatomy of spatial occupation, and the trajectory of Palestinian dispossession.