How Syria's architecture laid the foundation for brutal war | Marwa Al-Sabouni

Prevodilac: Mile Živković Lektor: Milenka Okuka

[Ovaj govor je snimljen u maju 2016. preko interneta]

u Homsu, gradu koji je uništen u šestogodišnjem ratu u Siriji.]

Hi. My name is Marwa, and I'm an architect.

Zdravo. Zovem se Marva i arhitektkinja sam.

I was born and raised in Homs,

Rođena sam i odrasla u Homsu,

a city in the central western part of Syria,

gradu u centralnom zapadnom delu Sirije

and I've always lived here.

i oduvek sam živela ovde.

After six years of war,

Nakon šest godina rata,

Homs is now a half-destroyed city.

Homs je sada poluuništen grad.

My family and I were lucky; our place is still standing.

Moja porodica i ja smo imali sreće, naš dom je još na mestu.

Although for two years, we were like prisoners at home.

Međutim, dve godine smo bili kao zatvorenici u domu.

Outside there were demonstrations and battles and bombings and snipers.

Napolju su bile demonstracije i bitke i bombardovanje i snajperi.

My husband and I used to run an architecture studio

Moj muž i ja smo vodili arhitektonski studio

in the old town main square.

na starom glavnom trgu grada.

It's gone, as is most of the old town itself.

Njega više nema, kao i većine starog grada.

Half of the city's other neighborhoods

Pola drugih područja grada

are now rubble.

sravnjena su sa zemljom.

Since the ceasefire in late 2015,

Nakon prestanka vatre krajem 2015,

large parts of Homs have been more or less quiet.

veći deo Homsa bio je manje-više tih.

The economy is completely broken, and people are still fighting.

Ekonomija je u potpunom krahu i ljudi se još bore.

The merchants who had stalls in the old city market

Prodavci koji su imali tezge na staroj pijaci u gradu

now trade out of sheds on the streets.

sada prodaju iz šupa na ulicama.

Under our apartment, there is a carpenter,

Ispod našeg stana nalaze se: stolar,

sweetshops, a butcher, a printing house, workshops, among many more.

poslastičar, mesar, štampar, radionice i štošta još.

I have started teaching part-time,

Počela sam da predajem honorarno,

and with my husband, who juggles several jobs,

i zajedno sa mužem, koji radi nekoliko poslova,

we've opened a small bookshop.

otvorili smo malu knjižaru.

Other people do all sorts of jobs to get by.

Drugi ljudi rade razne poslove kako bi preživeli.

When I look at my destroyed city, of course, I ask myself:

Kada pogledam svoj razoreni grad, naravno da se zapitam:

What has led to this senseless war?

šta je dovelo do ovog besmislenog rata?

Syria was largely a place of tolerance,

Sirija je većinom bila mesto tolerancije,

historically accustomed to variety,

kroz istoriju priviknuta na raznovrsnost,

accommodating a wide range of beliefs, origins, customs,

prihvatala je širok dijapazon uverenja, porekla, običaja,

goods, food.

dobara, hrane.

How did my country --

Kako je moja zemlja -

a country with communities living harmoniously together

zemlja sa zajednicama koje su živele zajedno u harmoniji

and comfortable in discussing their differences --

i slobodno pričale o svojim razlikama -

how did it degenerate into civil war, violence, displacement

kako se upustila u građanski rat, nasilje, raseljavanja

and unprecedented sectarian hatred?

i neviđenu mržnju prema verskoj različitosti?

There were many reasons that had led to the war --

Postoji mnogo razloga zašto je došlo do rata -

social, political and economic.

društveni, politički i ekonomski.

They all have played their role.

Svi su imali svoju ulogu.

But I believe there is one key reason that has been overlooked

Ali verujem da postoji jedan razlog koji je previđen

and which is important to analyze,

i koji je bitan za analizu,

because from it will largely depend

jer će od njega uveliko zavisiti

whether we can make sure that this doesn't happen again.

da li ćemo moći da se postaramo da se ovo ne dogodi opet.

And that reason is architecture.

Taj razlog je arhitektura.

Architecture in my country has played an important role

Arhitektura moje zemlje igrala je bitnu ulogu

in creating, directing and amplifying conflict between warring factions,

u stvaranju, upravljanju i pojačavanju konflikata između sukobljenih strana

and this is probably true for other countries as well.

i ovo je verovatno istinito i za druge zemlje.

There is a sure correspondence between the architecture of a place

Postoji jasno podudaranje između arhitekture nekog mesta

and the character of the community that has settled there.

i karaktera zajednice koja je u njemu naseljena.

Architecture plays a key role in whether a community crumbles

Arhitektura igra ključnu ulogu u tome da li će se zajednica raspasti

or comes together.

ili udružiti.

Syrian society has long lived the coexistence

U sirijskom društvu dugo se živelo zajedno -

of different traditions and backgrounds.

različite tradicije i porekla.

Syrians have experienced the prosperity of open trade

Sirijci su iskusili uspeh otvorenog tržišta

and sustainable communities.

i održivih zajednica.

They have enjoyed the true meaning of belonging to a place,

Uživali su u pravom značenju pripadanja nekom mestu

and that was reflected in their built environment,

i to se oslikavalo u njihovim građevinama,

in the mosques and churches built back-to-back,

u džamijama i crkvama, sagrađenim jednim pored drugih,

in the interwoven souks and public venues,

u isprepletanim pijacama i javnim trgovima

and the proportions and sizes based on principles of humanity and harmony.

i proporcijama i veličinama zasnovanim na principima ljudskosti i harmonije.

This architecture of mixity can still be read in the remains.

Ova arhitektura izmešanosti još se može videti u ruševinama.

The old Islamic city in Syria was built over a multilayered past,

Stari islamski grad u Siriji napravljen je preko višeslojne prošlosti

integrating with it and embracing its spirit.

i integrisan je sa njom i prihvatio je njen duh.

So did its communities.

To su uradile i zajednice.

People lived and worked with each other

Ljudi su živeli i radili zajedno

in a place that gave them a sense of belonging

u mestu koje im je davalo osećaj pripadanja

and made them feel at home.

i toga da su kod kuće.

They shared a remarkably unified existence.

Delili su neverovatno jedinstveno postojanje.

But over the last century,

Ali tokom prošlog veka,

gradually this delicate balance of these places has been interfered with;

postepeno je počelo mešanje u delikatnu ravnotežu ovih mesta -

first, by the urban planners of the colonial period,

prvo su to bili urbanisti iz kolonijalnog perioda,

when the French went enthusiastically about,

kada su Francuzi išli okolo puni entuzijazma,

transforming what they saw as the un-modern Syrian cities.

transformišući ono što su oni videli kao nemoderne sirijske gradove.

They blew up city streets and relocated monuments.

Raznosili su ulice grada i prenosili spomenike.

They called them improvements,

Nazvali su to poboljšanjem

and they were the beginning of a long, slow unraveling.

i oni su bili početak dugog, sporog odmotavanja.

The traditional urbanism and architecture of our cities

Tradicionalni urbanizam i arhitektura naših gradova

assured identity and belonging not by separation,

garantovali su identitet i pripadnost, ne kroz odvajanje,

but by intertwining.

nego kroz preplitanje.

But over time, the ancient became worthless, and the new, coveted.

Ali vremenom prastaro je postalo bezvredno a ono novo, cenjeno.

The harmony of the built environment and social environment

Harmonija izgrađene okoline i društvenog okruženja

got trampled over by elements of modernity --

pregažena je elementima modernog -

brutal, unfinished concrete blocks,

brutalni, nezavršeni betonski blokovi,

neglect, aesthetic devastation,

nemar, estetsko propadanje,

divisive urbanism that zoned communities by class, creed or affluence.

podeljeni urbanizam koji je zajednice delio po klasi, pripadnosti ili imućnosti.

And the same was happening to the community.

Isto se dešavalo i zajednici.

As the shape of the built environment changed,

Kako se menjao oblik izgrađenog okruženja,

so the lifestyles and sense of belonging of the communities

tako su počeli da se menjaju životni stilovi

also started changing.

i osećaj pripadanja zajednici.

From a register of togetherness, of belonging,

Od registra zajedništva, pripadanja,

architecture became a way of differentiation,

arhitektura je postala način razlikovanja

and communities started drifting apart

i zajednice su počele da se razdvajaju

from the very fabric that used to unite them,

od samog materijala koji ih je ujedinjavao,

and from the soul of the place that used to represent their common existence.

i od duše mesta koja je predstavljala njihovo zajedničko postojanje.

While many reasons had led to the Syrian war,

Iako je mnogo razloga dovelo do rata u Siriji,

we shouldn't underestimate the way in which,

ne treba da potcenjujemo način

by contributing to the loss of identity and self-respect,

na koji su doprinoseći gubitku identiteta i samopoštovanja

urban zoning and misguided, inhumane architecture

urbano planiranje i izgubljena, nehumana arhitektura

have nurtured sectarian divisions and hatred.

gajili verske podele i mržnju.

Over time, the united city has morphed into a city center

Tokom vremena, ujedinjeni grad pretvorio se u centar grada

with ghettos along its circumference.

sa geto naseljima na obodima.

And in turn, the coherent communities became distinct social groups,

Kao posledica, koherentne zajednice postale su odvojene društvene grupe

alienated from each other and alienated from the place.

udaljene međusobno i udaljene od samog mesta.

From my point of view,

Iz moje tačke gledišta,

losing the sense of belonging to a place

gubljenje osećaja pripadanja nekom mestu

and a sense of sharing it with someone else

i osećaj deljenja tog mesta s nekim

has made it a lot easier to destroy.

doprineli su da se to mesto lakše razori.

The clear example can be seen in the informal housing system,

Jasan primer se može videti iz neformalnog sistema stambene izgradnje,

which used to host, before the war, over 40 percent of the population.

gde je pre rata bilo smešteno preko 40% stanovništva.

Yes, prior to the war, almost half of the Syrian population

Da, pre rata, skoro pola stanovništva Sirije

lived in slums,

živelo je u straćarama,

peripheral areas without proper infrastructure,

područjima na periferiji bez prave infrastrukture

made of endless rows of bare block boxes

koja su se sastojala od beskonačnih nizova golih crnih kutija od blokova

containing people,

sa ljudima,

people who mostly belonged to the same group,

ljudima koji su uglavnom pripadali istoj grupi,

whether based on religion, class, origin or all of the above.

bez obzira na to da li to bila vera, klasa, poreklo ili sve navedeno.

This ghettoized urbanism proved to be a tangible precursor of war.

Ovaj geto urbanizam pokazao se kao opipljiva naznaka rata.

Conflict is much easier between pre-categorized areas --

Konflikt je mnogo lakši između pretkategorisanih područja,

where the "others" live.

gde živi "onaj drugi".

The ties that used to bind the city together --

Veze koje su držale grad zajedno -

whether they were social, through coherent building,

bile one društvene, kroz koherentnu gradnju

or economic, through trade in the souk,

ili ekonomske, kroz trgovinu na pijaci

or religious, through the coexistent presence --

ili verske, kroz zajednički život,

were all lost in the misguided and visionless modernization

sve su izgubljene u zabludeloj i bezidejnoj modernizaciji

of the built environment.

izgrađenog okruženja.

Allow me an aside.

Dozvolite mi digresiju.

When I read about heterogeneous urbanism in other parts of the world,

Kada čitam o heterogenom urbanizmu u drugim delovima sveta,

involving ethnic neighborhoods in British cities

uključujući etničke delove gradova u Britaniji

or around Paris or Brussels,

ili oko Pariza ili Brisela,

I recognize the beginning of the kind of instability

prepoznajem početke te vrste nestabilnosti

we have witnessed so disastrously here in Syria.

kakvu smo videli da katastrofalno pogađa Siriju.

We have severely destroyed cities,

Imamo teško razorene gradove,

such as Homs, Aleppo, Daraa and many others,

poput Homsa, Alepa, Dare i mnogih drugih

and almost half of the population of the country is now displaced.

i skoro pola stanovništva zemlje sada je raseljeno.

Hopefully, the war will end,

Nadam se da će se rat završiti

and the question that, as an architect, I have to ask, is:

i pitanje koje moram da postavim, kao arhitektkinja, je sledeće:

How do we rebuild?

kako da obnavljamo?

What are the principles that we should adopt

Koji su principi koje bi trebalo da usvojimo

in order to avoid repeating the same mistakes?

kako bismo izbegli ponavljanje istih grešaka?

Iz moje tačke gledišta, glavni fokus trebalo bi da bude na stvaranju mesta

From my point of view, the main focus should be on creating places

that make their people feel they belong.

koja čine da se ljudi osećaju kao da tu pripadaju.

Architecture and planning need to recapture

Arhitektura i planiranje moraju ponovo da uhvate

some of the traditional values that did just that,

neke od tradicionalnih vrednosti koje su činile upravo to,

creating the conditions for coexistence and peace,

stvarale su uslove za saživot i mir,

values of beauty that don't exhibit ostentation,

vrednosti lepote koje ne prikazuju hvalisavost,

but rather, approachability and ease,

već pristupnost i lakoću,

moral values that promote generosity and acceptance,

moralne vrednosti koje šire velikodušnost i prihvaćenost,

architecture that is for everyone to enjoy, not just for the elite,

arhitektura u kojoj uživa svako, koja nije samo za elitu,

just as used to be in the shadowed alleys of the old Islamic city,

kao što je bilo u zasenčenim ulicama starog islamskog grada,

mixed designs that encourage a sense of community.

pomešani dizajni koji ohrabruju osećaj zajednice.

There is a neighborhood here in Homs that's called Baba Amr

Postoji komšiluk u Homsu koji se zove Baba Amr

that has been fully destroyed.

i koji je uništen potpuno.

Almost two years ago, I introduced this design

Pre skoro dve godine, predstavila sam ovaj dizajn

into a UN-Habitat competition for rebuilding it.

na takmičenju UN-a za njegovu ponovnu izgradnju.

The idea was to create an urban fabric inspired by a tree,

Ideja je bila da se stvori urban materijal nadahnut drvetom,

capable of growing and spreading organically,

koji može da raste i da se širi organski,

echoing the traditional bridge hanging over the old alleys,

pojačavajući utisak tradicionalnog mosta koji visi iznad starih prolaza

and incorporating apartments, private courtyards, shops,

i uključujući stanove, privatna dvorišta, prodavnice,

workshops, places for parking and playing and leisure,

radionice, mesta za parking, igranje i slobodno vreme,

trees and shaded areas.

drveće i mesta u senci.

It's far from perfect, obviously.

Očigledno je da je daleko od savršenog.

I drew it during the few hours of electricity we get.

Nacrtala sam ga tokom retkih sati kada imamo struju.

And there are many possible ways to express belonging and community

Postoji mnogo drugih mogućih načina da se izrazi pripadnost i zajedništvo

through architecture.

kroz arhitekturu.

But compare it with the freestanding, disconnected blocks

Ali uporedite to sa nezavisnim, nepovezanim blokovima

proposed by the official project for rebuilding Baba Amr.

koji su predloženi u zvaničnom projektu za ponovnu izgradnju Baba Amra.

Architecture is not the axis around which all human life rotates,

Arhitektura nije samo osovina oko koje se okreće ljudski život,

but it has the power to suggest and even direct human activity.

ona ima moć da predloži i čak upravlja ljudskom aktivnošću.

In that sense, settlement, identity and social integration

U tom smislu, naseljavanje, identitet i društvena integracija

are all the producer and product of effective urbanism.

su proizvođač i proizvod efikasnog urbanizma.

The coherent urbanism of the old Islamic city

Koherentni urbanizam starog islamskog grada

and of many old European towns, for instance,

i mnogih starih evropskih gradova, na primer,

promote integration,

promovišu integraciju,

while rows of soulless housing or tower blocks,

dok nizovi bezdušnih stambenih zgrada i kula,

even when they are luxurious,

čak i kada su luksuzne,

tend to promote isolation and "otherness."

obično promovišu izolaciju i "drugost".

Even simple things

Čak i jednostavne stvari

like shaded places or fruit plants or drinking water inside the city

poput osenčenih mesta ili stabala voćki ili vode za piće unutar grada

can make a difference in how people feel towards the place,

mogu da naprave razliku u tome kakav stav neko ima prema mestu

and whether they consider it a generous place that gives,

i da li ga smatraju velikodušnim mestom koje daje,

a place that's worth keeping, contributing to,

mestom koje je vredno zadržavanja, doprinošenja,

or whether they see it as an alienating place,

ili ga vide kao mesto koje udaljava,

full of seeds of anger.

punog semena srdžbe.

In order for a place to give, its architecture should be giving, too.

Kako bi mesto davalo i arhitektura mora da daje.

Our built environment matters.

Naša izgrađeno okruženje je bitno.

The fabric of our cities is reflected in the fabric of our souls.

Materijal naših gradova ogleda se u materijalu naših duša.

And whether in the shape of informal concrete slums

Da li je to oblik neformalnih betonskih straćara

or broken social housing

ili uništene socijalne zgrade

or trampled old towns

ili pregaženi stari delovi grada

or forests of skyscrapers,

ili šume i oblakoderi,

the contemporary urban archetypes

savremeni stereotipi urbanizma

that have emerged all across the Middle East

koji su nikli širom srednjeg istoka

have been one cause of the alienation and fragmentation of our communities.

bili su jedan od razloga za otuđenje i rasparčavanje naših zajednica.

We can learn from this.

Možemo naučiti nešto iz ovoga.

We can learn how to rebuild in another way,

Možemo naučiti kako da se obnovimo na drugačiji način,

how to create an architecture that doesn't contribute only

kako da stvorimo arhitekturu koja ne doprinosi samo

to the practical and economic aspects of people's lives,

praktičnim i ekonomskim aspektima života ljudi,

but also to their social, spiritual and psychological needs.

već i njihovim društvenim, duhovnim i psihološkim potrebama.

Those needs were totally overlooked in the Syrian cities before the war.

Te potrebe su potpuno zanemarene u gradovima Sirije pre rata.

We need to create again cities that are shared

Moramo ponovo da stvorimo gradove koje dele

by the communities that inhabit them.

zajednice koje ih naseljavaju.

If we do so, people will not feel the need

Ako to uradimo, ljudi neće osećati potrebu

to seek identities opposed to the other identities all around,

da traže identitete suprotne drugim identitetima oko njih,

because they will all feel at home.

jer će se svi osećati kao kod kuće.

Thank you for listening.

Hvala što ste me saslušali.