Twenty-one archaeological artifacts returned from the US to Syria were brought to the country aboard the presidential aircraft with the delegation accompanying President Ahmed al-Sharaa. The artifacts reached the Damascus National Museum after being handed over to the Syrian delegation in New York.
Ammar Kenawi, director of museum affairs in Syria, said the return carries political and cultural significance for the country at the present time. Kenawi said the return of artifacts illegally removed from Syria during the years of war would help the people reclaim their lost identity.

“The return of archaeological artifacts also means the return of Syrian identity,” Kenawi said, expressing hope that all artifacts illegally removed from the country would be brought back. He likened the process to the return to their country and homes of Syrians displaced by the civil war.
The artifacts bear traces of different periods
The returned pieces belong to different historical periods and are made from various materials. The collection includes four cylinder seals bearing depictions of religious and mythological significance, as well as several bronze figurines.

One of the bronze artifacts is a female figure of artistic and historical significance. Kenawi said the figurine is believed to have come from Syria’s Euphrates region.

The collection also includes a glazed ceramic jug. Kenawi said the jug resembles ceramics produced in Raqqa during the late Ayyubid period.
According to Kenawi, all the artifacts from different regions and historical periods bear the characteristics of Syrian art.