Maciej Moskwa is a Polish photographer, a member of TESTIGO documentary collective. He spent a lot of time working in Syria, and I was first introduced to his work through his photo essay Dead Cities.

Artist statement:

” ‘Dead Cities’ are the remains of Roman and Byzantine settlements in the north-western Syria. In 2012, during the civil war in Syria, more than one million people had to abandon their homes and sought safe shelter. They came to the places where the Ancients buried their dead. In places such as Shansharah, Robia, Serjilla the living cohabitate with the dead in ruins and tombs, often underground. They are exposed to the elements, cold, wet hungry and vulnerable to disease. Many, fleeing from their homes, could not take much with them, the heaviest luggage they carry is their memories filled with the images, sounds and smells of an ongoing war. Although they hide, danger accompanies them each day with the constant risk of shelling coupled with gnawing hunger. The risk of contracting Tuberculosis or Leishmaniasis is an everyday reality.”

//all photos © Maciej Moskwa/TESTIGO Documentary//

For more on TESTIGO Documentary, visit their website.

For more on Maciej Moskwa, visit his facebook page.