Return or change - Syria Post War Reconstruction Strategy

In wartime, cities suffer from damage and destruction as is the case in Syria where the war started in 2011 and continues to date. Many historical sites suffered untold damage leaving world class heritage in ruins needing urgent repairs to preserve it for humanity. Unfortunately, although many sites can be restored, there are those sites which have reached a level of damage that is nearly impossible to be repaired.Cultural heritage represents the identity of a society and one doesn't exist without the another. Today, proposals have started to appear for post-war reconstruction but there is a risk of losing the authenticity of cultural heritage. Therefore, there is a need to understand the meaning of cultural heritage and to collect sufficient information about each site before extending such proposals. Moreover, we need to understand what should be preserved. Is it the authenticity? The symbols? or identity? Over time, destruction visited many cities for various reasons includingwars, floods or other natural causes.The question that pauses itself, however, is what should be restored to its original glory and what opportunity does such destruction bring for change to take place.