13 September 2023
The National Museum Celebrates Returning Syrian Artefacts to Their Homeland from the UK
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, the Museum succeeded in returning looted Syrian artefacts that were temporarily in the custody of the British Museum, in cooperation and coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the General Directorate of Operations of the Royal Air Force of Oman, the General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums of the Syrian Arab Republic, the Hermitage Museum in the Russian Federation, and the British Museum separately, in preparation for its delivery to the Syrian government through the National Museum.
This came through a signing ceremony for handing over and receiving the artefacts, which was held in the Land and People Gallery at the National Museum on Wednesday corresponding to 13/9/2023 CE, in the presence In the presence of Her Highness Mrs. Dr. Mona bint Fahd al Said, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Sultan Qaboos University for International Cooperation, Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees, His Excellency Jamal bin Hassan al-Moosawi, Secretary General of the National Museum, His Excellency Sheikh Hamid bin Ali al-Maani, Head of the International Affairs Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Dr. Idris Ahmed Mia, Ambassador of the Syrian Arab Republic accredited to the Sultanate of Oman, His Excellency Ilya Morgunov, Ambassador-Designate of the Russian Federation to the Sultanate of Oman, and a number of officials.
It is noteworthy that the 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.