A report released Tuesday by the UN Institute for Training and Research satellite imagery program provided detailed images of the Syrian civil war’s destructive toll on the country’s cultural heritage.

Among the 18 locations examined in the report is Aleppo, Syria’s second largest city, where the UN catalogued damage to 210 sites, of which 22 were destroyed, 48 severely damaged, and 65 sustained likely or moderate damage.

Of particular note, the report cited extensive damage to the area between the Aleppo Citadel, a site controlled by Assad loyalists perched above the Old City, and the famous Umayyad Mosque (8th century AD). In this swath of the city, many buildings were completely leveled or irreparably damaged by shelling.

These two landmarks — one rebel-held and the other under control of government forces— together make up one of the central battlefields in the fight for Aleppo, an incessant back and forth of firefights, bombings and short-lived territorial gains.

This year the mosque changed hands three times, landing once again under rebel control this month. The struggle over this expanse was documented in-depth earlier this year in the VICE documentary, “Ghosts of Aleppo,” with Aris Roussinos.

The two landmarks, centerpieces of the city’s cultural and religious heritage, are highlighted in the report:

Umayyad Mosque

“The Umayyad Mosque is perhaps the worst affected of Aleppo’s monuments. The minaret was destroyed during fighting in 2013 — its rubble is clearly visible in the imagery. There appears to be severe damage to the eastern outer wall, the southern part of the eastern gallery, and the northeast corner of the northern gallery. It was destroyed by the same fire which ravaged the rest of the gallery and destroyed the library in 2013. In addition, the marble-tiled courtyard has been partially destroyed. Lastly, the garden is severely damaged as is the entrance to the souq from the eastern gallery.”

Aleppo Citadel

Impact damage is visible on the stone cladding of the glacis (the damage largely dates back to 2012). Minor structural damage is visible on some of the other structures, including some of the towers on the wall. The worst damage was done to the Temple to the Storm God. A roof was constructed in 2005 to protect the excavated area; this is no longer present. The state of the exca- vation underneath is unclear in the imagery, but appears as if it may have been disturbed. Although the Gatehouse is known to have sustained minor to moderate damage from an attack in 2012, damage cannot be verified with the imagery.

UNOSAT head Einar Bjorgo said the report is an opportunity for the international community to renew efforts to protect Syria’s cultural heritage sites.

“At this point in time we found it important to issue a comprehensive status report to alert decision-makers and the public of deterioration to many of the rich cultural heritage areas in Syria,” Bjorgo said in a statement.

Earlier this month, Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Irina Bokova called for the creation of “protected cultural zones” in Iraq and Syria, highlighting the Umayyad Mosque as a landmark of particular interest.

Bokova said that the preservation of monuments of cultural significance can act as bulwark against violence and sectarianism.

“To fight fanaticism, we also need to reinforce education, a defence against hatred, and protect heritage, which helps forge collective identity,” she said in a statement by UNESCO.

In Aleppo, as hostilities between the city’s armed groups continue and UN efforts for a ceasefire flail, further destruction is among the few certainties of the coming months.

The UNOSAT report comes amid a highly-publicized push by UN Special Envoy for the Syria crisis Staffan de Mistura to rally support for his plan to freeze hostilities in northern Syria, with Aleppo as a centerpiece of the strategy.

Asharq al-Awsat reported last week that the plan has been met with opposition from European Union states, among them Britain and France. Both are concerned with the lack of enforcement mechanism available to monitor compliance.

Asharq al-Awsat reports:

“Britain and France believe that implementing the UN envoy’s plan is not possible without the presence of international observers,” said the EU diplomatic source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Dispatching personnel to Syria to monitor the implementation of the plan on the ground would require a binding UN resolution, which is likely to face resistance from within the UN Security Council, the source maintained.

De Mistura nevertheless continues to emphasize his belief in the plan’s viability and in an Aleppo ceasefire as a key first step in building momentum toward a political resolution to the conflict.

In a recent interview with Al-Hayat, de Mistura said, “My hope, which is also the hope of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, is that if we achieve a positive movement in regard to a freeze in Aleppo, this could help in finally jump-starting what has been talked about terms of a comprehensive and effective political process, under political leadership and with international support.”

Against this diplomatic backdrop, rebel forces in Aleppo continue to resist government efforts to cut off access routes to the city and fully beseige the opposition.

As The Guardian’s Martin Chulov detailed in an update from Aleppo yesterday, “Since February this year, the regime has remained strong in the north-east and north-west of the city, but has been unable to close the circle — a move that would besiege Aleppo, condemning it (to) the same fate as a second rebel bastion, Homs, most of which was seized by loyalist troops this year.”

Should Aleppo fall, Syria’s neighbors fear a massive new influx of refugees. In mid-November Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu predicted that if the city is seized by government forces or the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham Turkey would experience “an influx of two to three million people.”

To read the full UNOSAT, go to the report webpage.