In conjunction with Macron's visit to Syria. France returns 23 unique artifacts to Damascus

The General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums of Syria announced, on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, the recovery of 23 unique Syrian artifacts that had been loaned since 2011 to the Institut du Monde Arabe in the French capital, Paris.

In a statement, the Directorate  explained that these pieces arrived at the National Museum in Damascus in conjunction with the official visit of French President Emmanuel Macron, where the ceremony of handing them over was officially held to the Director General of Antiquities and Museums, Dr. Masoud Badawi, and the Director of Museum Affairs, Ammar Gnaoui, accompanied by an official French delegation that included the head of the institute.

The origin of the case dates back to the spring of 2011, just before the outbreak of events in Syria, where the Arab World Institute borrowed this distinguished collection to participate in the permanent museum display that narrates the history and civilization of the Arab world, in addition to archaeological finds from various Arab countries, and it was legally planned to return them to Syrian museums in 2014, but the deterioration of the security situation prevented this for more than a decade and a half.

The Directorate of Antiquities reviews  the historical value of the recovered pieces

The General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums confirmed that the restored collection represents an exceptional cultural treasure, as it includes rare artifacts that span from prehistoric times to Islamic times.

Among the treasures returned are the statue of "Maggie Mari" discovered at the site of Tell al-Hariri, a rare piece bearing writings in Safai calligraphy, a part of a Palmyra frieze representing a hunting trip, a recessed inscription in the Palmyra language, in addition to fragments of colored "fresco" paintings from Qasr al-Hayr al-Gharbi in the Levant desert, and a wooden door filling engraved with botanical inscriptions from the Jabar Castle in Raqqa governorate.

The Official Authority Clarifies the Reasons for the Delay in the Recovery of National Treasures

The Directorate of Antiquities pointed out that the failure of the former regime to manage the country and maintain its stability prevented the recovery of these treasures on the previously scheduled date, as the French authorities and the Arab World Institute have refrained from handing them over throughout those years due to the lack of safe preservation conditions and appropriate conditions to protect them from sale or vandalism.

The statement added that the return of security and safety and the reconstruction of institutions after liberation constituted the main guarantee and the mandatory corridor that convinced the French side to open its warehouses and return the antiquities to their original homeland.

Syria's antiquities sector is engaged in a complex legal and diplomatic battle to recover thousands of objects that were illegally smuggled out of the country across the border during periods of insecurity.

This French step represents an important legal precedent that establishes the methodology of recovering Syrian treasures distributed in international museums, and a call for the international community and UN organizations (such as UNESCO) to cooperate in completing this sovereign file to preserve national identity.

Cultural move cements the restoration of diplomatic relations between Damascus and Paris

The General Directorate of Antiquities considered that the choice of French President Emmanuel Macron to return these objects personally and accompanied by a high-level cultural delegation in conjunction with his current visit to Damascus, carries a great political and cultural significance that confirms the recognition of the civilizational depth of Syria and the nature of the new transitional period.

The event culminates the rapid rapprochement between the two countries following Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara's visit to Paris in May 2025, which broke Damascus' isolation internationally and paved the way for Macron's statements in support of a united, sovereign and peaceful Syria.