Diarna Geo-Museum: Digitally Preserving MENA’s Jewish Heritage Against Time
The Race Against Time
Jewish heritage in MENA spans millennia, from ancient synagogues in Iraq to medieval yeshivas in Morocco. Yet today, fewer than 15,000 Jews remain in most of these countries, their physical legacies crumbling under neglect or conflict. Diarna’s mission is urgent: to document these sites before they-and the memories tied to them-disappear entirely.
Using 3D modeling, geospatial mapping, and oral histories, Diarna has cataloged nearly 3,000 sites, including endangered synagogues, cemeteries, and schools. For example, the Eliyahu Hanavi Synagogue in Jobar, Syria, destroyed during the civil war, now exists as a detailed virtual reconstruction, allowing visitors to explore its vaulted arches and intricate tilework. Similarly, the Kashi Synagogue in Shiraz, Iran, with its Hebrew inscriptions alongside Persian motifs, is preserved as a digital testament to coexistence.
How It Works: Technology Meets Human Stories
Diarna’s methodology is both high-tech and deeply personal:
- 3D Photogrammetry: Portable 360-degree cameras and drones capture sites like Libya’s Msellata Synagogue, even when physical access is restricted.
- Oral Histories: Interviews with elderly émigrés, such as those from Yemen’s Ra’s al-‘Ayn Cemetery, preserve Judeo-Arabic epitaphs and communal rituals.
- Collaborative Research: Local scholars, including Muslim archaeologists, contribute to projects like documenting Tunisia’s Gran Synagogue of Tunis, whose architecture mirrors nearby Islamic sites.
This hybrid approach ensures that each site is more than a pin on a map-it’s a narrative of belonging and resilience.
Impact and Collaborations
Diarna’s work intersects with physical preservation efforts, most notably in Morocco, where King Mohammed VI has allocated $17 million since 2010 to restore Jewish sites. Landmarks like Slat Al Fassiyine Synagogue in Fez and 167 Jewish cemeteries have been revitalized, with GPS coordinates added to Diarna’s database. Such collaborations underscore how digital and physical preservation can amplify each other.The project also educates globally. Partnering with institutions like the American Sephardi Federation, Diarna creates curricula and exhibitions, such as a 2020 showcase at Dubai’s Crossroads of Civilizations Museum, highlighting shared heritage.
Why It Matters
Diarna challenges the notion that MENA’s history is monolithic. By spotlighting Jewish contributions-from Morocco’s medieval philosophers to Iraq’s Talmudic academies-it reframes the region’s identity as inherently pluralistic. For writers and thinkers, Diarna offers a model of apolitical preservation. It declines to editorialize, instead letting sites speak for themselves-a radical act in a landscape often dominated by competing narratives.
The Future of Memory
Diarna’s next phase includes AI-driven translations of Judeo-Arabic manuscripts and VR classrooms for diaspora youth. Yet its most profound legacy may be intangible: proving that cultural preservation isn’t about relics, but about dignity. As Jason Guberman-Pfeffer told Smithsonian Magazine, “We’re in a race against time to put these sites on the map, and to preserve these stories before they’re forever lost.” In a world where borders harden, Diarna’s virtual museum reminds us that heritage transcends nations-and that memory, once digitized, becomes immortal.
Sources :
https://smarthistory.org/diarna-documenting-places-vanishing-jewish-history-2/
https://guides.libraries.psu.edu/c.php?g=1366472&p=10095113
http://amirmideast.blogspot.com/2021/
https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/mes/undergraduate-studies/diarna-digital-heritage-internship/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/pinterest--335658978499351880/
