Artifacts belonging to Syria’s historical heritage and brought back to the country from France were opened to visitors at the Damascus Citadel as part of the Summer Festival in the capital, Damascus.
The pieces, smuggled out of Syria nearly 15 years ago, were returned to the country during French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Damascus in July. The exhibition, held on Saturday, welcomed visitors in the Throne Hall of the Damascus Citadel.
Funerary statues from Palmyra displayed
The exhibition at the Damascus Citadel featured funerary statues and reliefs from the ancient city of Palmyra, as well as various archaeological pieces from the Roman period. The artifacts, which had remained outside Syria for many years, were presented for visitors to examine.
Festival coordinator Abdurrahman Amir said visitors had shown great interest in the exhibition and were trying to learn about the stories connected to the artifacts’ history.
Amir described the reopening of the Damascus Citadel to the public after a long interval as an important development. He said some people were visiting the citadel for the first time in their lives, adding that the return of the historical artifacts to Syria had created happiness and excitement among the public and that the pieces held great spiritual value for the Syrian people.