Culture Minister Dr. Lubana Mashouh, who attended the exhibition, told SANA that this exhibition’s importance lies in the fact that it showcases a part of Syria’s cultural and Christian heritage, as the town of Maaloula is a symbol of coexistence of Syria.Better late than never, I suppose. But it would have been nice if Maaloula had received this kind of attention before militant Islamists had devastated the town and desecrated the grave of St. Thecla in the civil war. Better still, if it had received some protection from the Syrian Government before that happened. Or at least the Government could have refrained from closing Maaloula's Aramaic Institute because idiots had noticed that the Aramaic script looks like Hebrew.
She said that this exhibition also underlines Syria’s values of love and fraternity, representing a response to those who hate life and adopt the language of murder and animosity.
For his part, photographer Shammas said that this exhibition represents Syria’s suffering, particularly Maaloula, due to terrorism, and that he worked for two years to document the town with his photographs which depict various locations such as St. Serkis Convent and St. Thecla Convent as well as the people of Maaloula and their traditions.
Cross file under "Aramaic Watch" and "Ma'aloula, Malula." Follow the links in my comments above for much background on Maaloula.