MAARAT AL-NUMAN, Syria, June 21 (Xinhua) -- As the security situation in Syria stabilizes and a large number of Syrian refugees begin returning home to rebuild their lives, a new challenge has emerged: how to strike a balance between reconstructing lives and preserving cultural relics and historic sites.
As reconstruction work began, many cultural relics and historical sites were discovered. This trend became even more evident in regions known for their abundance of antiquities, such as Idlib or Homs province in central Syria.
In 2023, a rare Roman-era mosaic floor was discovered beneath a war-damaged home in Syria's al-Rastan city in Homs province, during debris removal for reconstruction.
In May this year, a Byzantine-era cemetery estimated to be over 1,500 years old was uncovered in the northern neighborhood of Maarat al-Numan, a historically rich city in Syria's Idlib province.
The cemetery was buried beneath Mahmoud Qusheit's house, who had fled his home during the country's period of turmoil. After returning to Maarat al-Numan, he hired a contractor to rebuild his house. It was during the reconstruction process that these archaeologically significant tombs were discovered.
Hassan Ismail, director of antiquities in Idlib, told Xinhua that with the return of residents and the resumption of construction, two archaeological sites had been uncovered -- one in the northern district of Maarat al-Numan, and another in the southern district.
"Maarat al-Numan is rich in historical landmarks ... These newly discovered tombs add cultural, historical, and even tourism value to the region," he said.
However, for both the returnees and relics conservation workers, discovering these historical sites brings a mix of excitement and difficulties.
On one side, the returnees would face setbacks in their rebuilding efforts because they have to pause construction when new relics are found. On the other side, preservation workers encounter considerable hurdles in properly safeguarding the newly uncovered relics.
According to Ismail, safeguarding and preserving such sites is quite challenging given Syria's complex socio-political situation. Additionally, balancing heritage conservation with the urgent need for housing and infrastructure for returning populations is especially difficult under current circumstances, with significant constraints like funding shortages.
As a silver lining amid the challenges, UNESCO announced earlier this month its return to Syria.
After 14 years of halted cooperation with the Syrian government, UNESCO said it had relaunched its activities in Syria by initiating an emergency support project in the country, which also includes educational outreach, staff training, and heritage preservation efforts.
UNESCO said it aims to foster economic resilience and sustainable development through heritage and cultural engagement. ■
