The Triumphal Arch of Palmyra in Geneva, Switzerland

The IDA was honored to present our replica of the Triumphal Arch of Palmyra on Place des Nations, Geneva Switzerland from April 12 - 27th of 2019. The exhibition was a collaboration with the Canton of Geneva, the City of Geneva, and UNESCO Switzerland, and stood directly across from the United Nations Headquarters.

As a part of the “Protecting Cultural Property: International Conference on the 20th Anniversary of the 1999 Second Protocol to the 1954 Hague Convention”, hosted by UNESCO, the Arch stood as a reminder of resilience in the face of adversity and the power of coming together around cultural heritage. The April 12th unveiling, on a perfectly sunny day, was attended by With Michael Mouller, Director General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, Antonio Hodgers, President of the State Council, Republic and State of Geneva, Valentin Zellweger, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, Roger L. Michel Jr, Executive Director, The Institute for Digital Archaeology, and Dominique Loye, Director adjoint, Département du droit international et des politiques humanitaires, Comité international de la Croix-Rouge. We are grateful to those who spoke about the importance of preservation at the event.

On April 25th, delegates from the UNESCO conference visited the Arch before moving to the conference reception. Speakers included: Dr. Alexy Karenowska, Director of Technology at the Institute for Digital Archaeology, Mr. Ernesto Ottone Ramirez, Assistant Director-General for Culture of UNESCO, Michael Moeller, Director-General of the United Nations Office in Geneva, and Ambassador Yannick Roulin.

The Arch will be removed from the Place des Nations on April 27th, and it will continue to travel and stand as a testament to our shared humanity.