Hellen Almoustafa, GCRP 2021
Cultural heritage expert, Hellen Almoustafa holds a PhD in Ancient Near-Eastern Archaeology from University of Sapienza (Rome). She has many years of research and work experience in fields related to tangible and intangible heritage, museums, world heritage sites, cultural tourism development, UNESCO programmes and conventions, fundraising in addition to archaeological preservation. She has participated in archaeological missions in Syria and Iraq, and currently works as a cultural heritage consultant with the government of Şanlıurfa/ Turkey, responsible for developing policies and programmes related to the heritage of the province in general and the world heritage site “Göbeklitepe” in particular.
She is a Co-founder of Gönül Köprüsü Association, whose main concern is preserving cultural heritage and the rehabilitation of damaged archaeological sites especially in conflict zones; raising awareness about the value of the nation’s heritage and the importance of this heritage in the economic chain, and targeting Syrian refugees in Turkey and the host community. She is a member and team manager of the “cultural sustainability section” in the Syrian professional network, working to build collaboration and exchange knowledge between Syrian and foreigner experts in the field of cultural development.