Syrian museum receives back hundreds of artefacts hidden during war

After years of turmoil, the Idlib Museum in northwestern Syria has received back hundreds of artefacts that had been missing during the conflict. A year following the removal of long-standing leader Bashar al-Assad, the transitional governments Minister of Culture, Mohammed Yasin al-Saleh, confirmed the recovery of 1,234 archaeological tablets and 198 other historical objects.

Speaking at a press briefing, Al-Saleh noted that many of these items, originating from the ancient kingdoms of Ebla and Mari, had been secretly stored in private locations to protect them from wartime destruction. He emphasized that safeguarding Syrias cultural heritage is a red line and that efforts continue to trace additional missing artefacts.

In the aftermath of political upheaval, local officials assisted in locating the lost collections and organizing their return. Some of the recovered artefacts date as far back as 3,200 BC, representing civilizations that once thrived in Syria.

Zafer Daaboul, who kept the artefacts at his home since 2016 after a museum employee entrusted them to him, stated, We kept these archaeological pieces completely secret; only my wife and I were aware. He explained that frequent relocations due to the war were necessary to protect the items from bombings, which helped prevent significant damage, though minor harm occurred from the constant moving.

The overthrow of the al-Assad regime by a rebel alliance a year ago left much of the country devastated, including historical monuments. Many of the recovered objects had been looted or went missing from the museum during the Syrian war in 2015.

An exhibition at the Idlib Museum now displays a portion of the 1,234 cuneiform clay tablets from the third millennium BC alongside 189 other artefacts that survived the conflict and illicit removal.

Author: Lucas Grant