Your professor is the moderator of an online discussion board. You must read the topic and the opinions of two other students, then post your own response (at least 100 words).

Professor Dr. Hani:

“This week we are looking at urban planning in historically rich countries like Syria. Cities like Damascus and Aleppo are continuously inhabited for thousands of years. This creates a conflict. On one hand, we want to modernize infrastructure (subways, wider roads, skyscrapers). On the other hand, digging anywhere often reveals ancient ruins.

Question: Should modern development in ancient cities be halted to preserve every archaeological find, or should the needs of the current population take priority?”

Student A (Sarah):

“I think preservation must be the priority. Once you destroy a ruin to build a subway station, that history is gone forever. These cities, like Old Damascus, are part of the world’s heritage, not just the city’s. Tourism can be a huge economic driver, so preserving these sites is actually a better long-term investment than a new road.”

Student B (Omar):

“I understand Sarah’s point, but people need to live. You can’t turn an entire living city into a museum. If protecting every single broken pottery shard means that citizens have to suffer from terrible traffic and poor infrastructure, then it’s too high a price. We should document the finds and then move them to a museum, allowing construction to continue.”

Your Task:

Write a post contributing to the discussion. In your response, you should:

• Express your own opinion.

• Make a contribution to the discussion (e.g., by agreeing/disagreeing with Sarah or Omar, or offering a new perspective).

Key Points for Evaluation 

Layout: Reading says it’s new; Lecture says it reused Roman temple walls.

• Decoration: Reading says it’s purely Islamic/Geometric; Lecture says it used Byzantine craftsmen and style.

• Workforce: Reading says it was local; Lecture says it was international (Copts, Greeks).