A Virtual Snapshot of a Medieval Hospital and Medical School
Capturing Syria’s historic landmarks one digital image at a time
View of a doorway from the bimaristan courtyardCyArk
Project Anqa preserves cultural landmarks around the world by making them digital, such as Bimaristan Medieval hospital in Damascus. ICOMOS, CyArk, and the Directorate General of Antiquities of Syria worked together on this project with funding from UK’s Arcadia Foundation.
War syriaCyArk
Project Anqa began in 2015 to collect as much data as possible for potential future recovery efforts if cultural sites are damaged, as was the case in the Middle East. The team offers training and workshops to local experts focusing on digitally documenting cultural sites.
Photogrammetry at the Temple of Eshmun (2017-01-17) by CyArkCyArk
CyArk, a not-for-profit digital recording organization, provided both training and workshops to Lebanese heritage experts in 2016 and later, in 2017, they partnered with the UNESCO Office for the Preservation of Syrian Cultural Heritage.
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This is a 360-degree panoramic image of the inside of the Bimaristan Nur al Din, a medieval hospital and medical school in the heart of Damascus.
View looking out to the city from the Bimaristan courtyardCyArk
The laser scans, drone footage, and photography is used to help restore historic sites such as the Bimaristan hospital by creating 3D surface models to compare before and after images and detect for any damage or trafficking of antiquities.
