Syria: Roman Remains of the City of Nawa Disappear in the Face of Looting and Abandonment

Radio France Internationale

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In southern Syria, the city of Nawa, now in ruins, was once a prosperous centre of Roman times, then Byzantine. Located on the road linking Damascus to Deraa, it has sheltered families of wealthy traders and farmers. But the remains of this wealth are now threatened, not only by the abandonment and destruction of the war, but also by wild excavations carried out by desperate inhabitants. Faced with poverty and lack of support, some dig the groun…