France returns 23 archaeological treasures to Syria after 15 years

France has returned 23 archaeological treasures to Syria that had been kept in the country for about 15 years after they were given to be exhibited in Paris, the Associated Press reported. Their return coincided with a historic visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to Damascus — the first by a leader from a major Western country since the ouster of Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, the agency noted.

The artifacts, transported aboard Macron’s presidential plane and handed over to the National Museum of Syria, include Roman bronzes, objects from the Byzantine and Islamic eras, as well as an ornate colorful mosaic panel that once adorned the Umayyad Mosque. The collection was given in 2011 for an exhibition of Syrian antiquities at the Institute of the Arab World in Paris.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry said the artifacts belonged to museums in Damascus, Aleppo, Latakia and Palmyra and had remained in France after the two countries severed diplomatic relations during Assad’s rule. The ministry described France as the first country to assist Syria in its national campaign to return antiquities held abroad.

Nivin Saadeeddin, a curator at the National Museum in Damascus, said the returned collection spanned some of the most significant periods of Syrian civilization. They date from the ninth millennium BC to the 14th and 15th centuries AD. Each item represents a separate chapter in Syria’s history, she said.

For Maamoun Abdulkarim, former director general of Syria’s antiquities and museums department, the return closes a chapter marked by years of war, diplomatic isolation and failed attempts to restore the collection. Abdulkarim, who is now a professor of archaeology at the University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, explained that the treasures were provided as part of a cultural cooperation agreement before the conflict began.

He said he had formally requested the return of the artifacts in 2014 but had not received a response. He said French officials later explained to Syrian authorities that they could not communicate with representatives of the Assad government, which has found itself internationally isolated and under massive sanctions since the suppression of anti-government protests and the ensuing civil war. He added that UNESCO’s Beirut office later tried to mediate, but that effort also failed.

The dispute also had personal consequences, Abdulkarim said. “We were interrogated by Bashar al-Assad’s security services,” he added. “We were beaten and accused of being too irresponsible in protecting Syrian antiquities.” If it weren’t for the correspondence we sent to the institute, which proved that we had repeatedly insisted on the return of the artifacts, we could have ended up in prison, the archaeologist said.

Despite the nightmare, Abdulkarim said he welcomed the renewed cultural cooperation. “I am extremely happy that despite everything that happened, the war is over, Syria is opening up to the world again and cultural exchange is returning,” he said.

Syria’s Foreign Ministry said France was the first country to assist Syria in a national campaign to return antiquities held abroad since Assad was overthrown by rebel forces. This ended more than five decades of rule by his family, the AP noted.

Meanwhile, Abdulkarim added that thousands of Syrian artifacts looted from archaeological sites during the war remain scattered around the world. Their recovery will require years of diplomatic efforts, he said.

Syria’s cultural heritage has suffered enormous damage during the nearly 14-year conflict in the country. Ancient cities, including the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Palmyra, have been badly damaged, while landmarks such as the medieval Crusader fortress of Krak des Chevaliers bear the scars of years of military conflict. Islamic State militants have also destroyed temples, tombs and monumental sculptures in Palmyra, considering them symbols of idolatry, while the trafficking of antiquities has become a lucrative source of income for the armed groups, the AP added.

Illustrative photo: pexels-halaframe-34682160