Twenty-one archaeological artifacts returned to Syria from the United States have been placed in the National Museum in the capital Damascus.
Ammar Kenavi, director of Syria’s Directorate of Museums, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that the artifacts were brought back to the country aboard the presidential plane with the delegation accompanying President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Kenavi said the return of the artifacts carries particular political and cultural significance at the present time, adding that the repatriation of objects illegally removed from Syria during the years of war could help the Syrian people recover part of their lost identity.
"The return of archaeological artifacts also means the return of Syrian identity," Kenavi said.
He expressed hope that all artifacts illegally removed from Syria would eventually be returned, comparing their repatriation to the return home of Syrians displaced by the civil war.
The 21 artifacts, which were handed over to the Syrian delegation in New York before being brought to Damascus, date from different periods and are made from various materials, Kenavi said.
Among the returned objects are four cylinder seals featuring religious and mythological imagery, as well as several bronze figurines. One of the pieces is a bronze figurine depicting a woman that carries particular artistic and historical significance, he said.
Kenavi said the figurine is believed to have originated in Syria’s Euphrates region.
The collection also includes a glazed ceramic jug that resembles pottery produced in Raqqa toward the end of the Ayyubid period, according to Kenavi.
Although the artifacts come from different regions and historical periods, they all bear characteristics of Syrian art, Kenavi said.
