Comparative Study of Heritage Destruction in the Middle East and the Balkans: Examining Patterns, Motivations, and International Responses in Different Geopolitical Contexts

Abstract

This comparative study examines the deliberate destruction of cultural heritage in two major late-twentieth and early twenty-first century conflicts: the Yugoslav Wars (1991-1999) and the Islamic State (ISIS) campaigns in Iraq and Syria (2014-2017). Despite occurring in different geopolitical contexts with distinct ideological frameworks ethnic nationalism in the Balkans versus religious extremism in the Middle East both conflicts witnessed systematic targeting of cultural and religious sites as instruments of identity erasure and population displacement. The Balkans experienced what has been characterized as the greatest destruction of European cultural heritage since World War II, with over 1,200 mosques destroyed in Bosnia-Herzegovina alongside hundreds of churches and iconic structures including Mostar's sixteenth-century Old Bridge and Sarajevo's National Library. ISIS destroyed over forty major archaeological sites including the ancient Assyrian cities of Nimrud, Hatra, and Nineveh, the Roman-era city of Palmyra, and numerous mosques, churches, and museums. International responses differed markedly: the Balkans benefited from prosecutions by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), while Middle Eastern destruction prompted UN Security Council resolutions and UNESCO-led documentation initiatives. This analysis reveals heritage destruction as a calculated strategy of cultural cleansing with profound implications for international law, heritage protection frameworks, and our understanding of contemporary conflict.