MUSCAT: The National Museum celebrated on Wednesday the returning of Syrian artefacts back to their homeland from the British Museum in the United Kingdom (UK).
This was achieved through coordination with military departments concerned with local and international affairs related to artefacts.
The move also comes within the framework of the mediation efforts adopted by the National Museum, and its support for efforts to preserve Syrian cultural heritage damaged during the years of crisis.
Dr. Lubanah Mshaweh, Minister of Culture of the Syrian Arab Republic, expressed her appreciation and gratitude to the Sultanate of Oman, which responded to the request without hesitation and undertook receiving and transporting the artefacts.
She added that recovering the artifacts has a special symbolism as great efforts exerted by several parties for years have been crowned with success.
On his turn, Jamal Hassan Al Moosawi, Secretary-General of the National Museum, said: “The initiative to return Syrian objects to their homeland is the result of tripartite cooperation between the National Museum, the General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums of the Syrian Arab Republic, and the Hermitage Museum in the Russian Federation, and as a continuation of the process of cooperation regarding the preservation of Syrian heritage that was damaged during the years of crisis.
He stressed that contributing to the revival of the Syrian cultural heritage during the exceptional circumstances Syria is going through is a human duty and a shared responsibility.
Moreover, Dr. Idris Ahmed Mia, Ambassador of the Syrian Arab Republic to the Sultanate of Oman, said: “The civilisational and cultural commonalities between the Syrian Arab Republic and the Sultanate of Oman date back to the Stone and Bronze Ages, as is the case in Syria.” He added that recovering looted Syrian artefacts and returning them to their original home is an additional evidence of the keenness of the Sultanate of Oman's leadership and people on the global human heritage in general and the Syrian heritage in particular.
Meanwhile, the recovered artefacts are a stone lintel and parts of an archaeological building made of limestone and date back to the middle of the fourth century CE (the Byzantine Empire). The artefacts are parts of a known building at the site of Nawa in the Hauran region. - ONA
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