DAMASCUS, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Syrian museum officials said Wednesday they are preparing 23 archaeological artifacts recently returned by France for public display at the National Museum in Damascus after they had spent 15 years abroad.
The artifacts were handed over earlier this week by the Arab World Institute in Paris during French President Emmanuel Macron's official visit to Syria.
The collection was originally loaned to the institute in 2011 for its permanent exhibition on Arab civilization. Its return was delayed because of the conflict in Syria.
"This is a very important and historic event that marks a significant milestone in Syria's cultural and political history," Nevin Saadeddin, curator of the Islamic Museum at the National Museum in Damascus, told Xinhua.
She said the artifacts, among the most important pieces belonging to Syria, date back to different historical periods, from prehistory and the ancient civilizations through the Islamic era, spanning from the 9th millennium B.C. to the 14th and 15th centuries A.D.
The Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums said the artifacts originated from museums and archaeological sites across Syria and will undergo documentation and conservation before being placed on permanent display at the National Museum.
Syria's antiquities sector suffered extensive damage during more than a decade of conflict, with museums, archaeological sites and historic cities affected by destruction, looting and illicit trafficking of cultural property. ■
