Damascus, July 7 (SANA) The Arab World Institute (IMA) in Paris has returned 23 archaeological artifacts borrowed from Syrian museums in 2011, coinciding with French President Emmanuel Macron‘s official visit to Syria, the Syrian Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums (DGAM) said on Tuesday.
The artifacts, which had been displayed as part of the institute’s permanent exhibition on Arab civilization alongside collections from other Arab countries, are due to arrive at the National Museum in Damascus with the official French delegation accompanying Macron.
According to a DGAM statement, the collection will be formally received by Director-General Masoud Badawi and Museums Affairs Director Ammar Kanawi, marking the return of the artifacts to Syria after 15 years.
The collection includes rare objects spanning periods from prehistory to the Islamic era, including a statue from Tell Hariri (Mari), an artifact bearing Safaitic inscriptions, part of a Palmyrene frieze depicting a hunting scene, a relief inscription in the Palmyrene language, fragments of colored frescoes from Qasr al-Hayr al-Gharbi, and a carved wooden door panel decorated with floral motifs from Jaabar Castle in Raqqa, among other pieces.
The DGAM said the artifacts had originally been scheduled for return in 2014, but the war in Syria prevented their repatriation. It said the deposed regime failed to secure their return, while French authorities postponed the transfer because of the war and the lack of suitable security and preservation conditions.
The directorate described the return of the collection following Syria’s liberation and the restoration of security as an important step toward reviving cultural cooperation between Syria and France after a 15-year interruption.
The DGAM also reiterated the importance of ongoing efforts to recover Syrian antiquities that left the country through various means, calling on governments, cultural institutions and international partners to support the repatriation of Syria’s cultural heritage.
Macron arrived in Damascus on Monday on the first visit by a French president since 2009, marking a new phase in Syrian-French relations based on mutual respect and equal partnership.
T.S /ABD
