AGE-OLD CITIES: A VIRTUAL JOURNEY FROM PALMYRA TO MOSUL [2019]

Palmyra, Aleppo, Mosul and Leptis Magna are all emblematic heritage symbols of the Arab world. Marked by conflict or neglect, these places have suffered heavy damage. “Age-Old Cities. A virtual journey from Palmyra To Mosul”, developed by the Arab World Institute with the expertise of Iconem and Ubisoft, in partnership with UNESCO and the University of Lausanne, brings these iconic places back to life.

Ubisoft saw the World Press Photo exposition as the perfect opportunity to revive part of this exhibition and take people on a journey to these virtually reconstructed sites.  For the first time in North America, visitors will be taken on an immersive and educational experience to witness these iconic places.

Age-Old Cities VR

Every evening from 6 to 10 p.m., visitors will have the chance to travel to these Middle Eastern cities through a VR experience developed by Ubisoft.

They will deep dive into six mythical monuments of the Arab world that are difficult to access to the general public or have been totally demolished: Palmyra’s Temple of Baalshamîn and Aleppo’s souk in Syria; Leptis Magna’s basilica in Libya; the Al-Nuri Mosque, the Nabi Yunus tunnels, and the Our Lady of the Hour Church in Mosul, Iraq. Recreated thanks to the expertise of all partners involved to facilitate virtual visits, this experience raises awareness of the challenges of preserving fragile heritage sites, wherever they are located in the world.