Syria Recovers 23 Antiquities from France After More Than 15 Years

 Welat TV – Erbil

The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the recovery of 23 antiquities that had been on loan to an exhibition of Syrian artifacts at the Arab World Institute in Paris since 2010 and had remained there due to the suspension of relations between Damascus and Paris during the era of the ousted regime.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, 7 July 2026, the ministry said the artifacts belong to the museums of Damascus, Aleppo, Latakia, and Palmyra. It added that their return comes as part of national and diplomatic efforts aimed at recovering Syrian cultural property and strengthening international cooperation to protect cultural heritage and preserve Syria’s civilizational identity.

The ministry added that the recovery process was the result of coordination and cooperation between the Syrian and French sides, including legal and technical collaboration that helped complete the procedures necessary to return the artifacts to Syria, reflecting both countries' commitment to safeguard cultural heritage and advancing international efforts in this field.

On the sidelines of French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Damascus, it was decided that the artifacts would be transported to Syria aboard the French presidential aircraft, in a gesture underscoring the level of bilateral cooperation.

The ministry described the move as a reflection of the level of cooperation between the two countries and noted that France had become the first country to cooperate with Syria under the national campaign to recover Syrian antiquities held abroad.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry stressed that the return of these artifacts marks the beginning of an ongoing effort to recover Syrian antiquities held outside the country, expressing its appreciation to the French authorities for their cooperation and for facilitating the return of these cultural treasures to their homeland.

The handover ceremony took place on Tuesday at the People's Palace in Damascus in the presence of Syria's transitional president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron.