A Small Syrian Town Keeps Ancient Language Alive

Video produced during an IWPR workshop for young Syrian journalists held in Damascus, November 2009.

IWPR

Institute for War & Peace Reporting

Friday, 19 March, 2010

A Small Syrian Town Keeps Ancient Language Alive

Video produced during an IWPR workshop for young Syrian journalists held in Damascus, November 2009.

Aramaic, the language of Jesus Christ, has few speakers today but it is being kept alive by the people of Maaloula, near Damascus, who hope to preserve it from extinction. Some even hope to attract scholars from around the world who are interested in Aramaic.

The language is still used by the Syriac Christian church and the majority of the 15,000 people of Maaloula can speak it but few can write in it today.

This multimedia piece was produced during an IWPR workshop for young Syrian journalists held in Damascus, November 2009.

Trainer: Don Duncan
Editor: Raed Rafei
Project manager: Susanne Fischer

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