Syrian Intangible Cultural Heritage in Displacement

Abstract

Since the beginning of the armed conflict in Syria, a mass number of Syrians have been displaced and forced to leave their home country. Over a million have sought refuge in Lebanon. Along with the mass destruction of Syrian cultural property caused by the ongoing upheaval, Syrian refugees fear losing their connections with their homeland and their sense of belonging. However, studies avow that intangible cultural heritage can be highly essential in reinstating cultural identity and overcoming struggles associated with displacement. By interviewing founders and members of a cultural program which integrates Syrian refugees and Lebanese locals in the old village of Abra in Saida – South Lebanon, findings indicate that integration and preserving intangible cultural heritage tend to create a new meaning of cultural identity, particularly represented by the Syrian refugee experience.