The Director of Antiquities and Museums emphasizes the need for international solidarity to protect Syrian antiquities and heritage during the International Conference on Middle Eastern Antiquities.

The Director General of the General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums, Dr. Anas Haj Zaidan, presented on Friday an overview of the Directorate's strategy for protecting and preserving Syrian antiquities and heritage after the liberation of Syria and the fall of the former regime. He emphasized that Syrian heritage is an integral part of the global human heritage, requiring genuine international solidarity. This took place during his participation in the 14th International Conference on Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology held in Lyon, France. Dr. Zaidan highlighted the importance of integrating cultural heritage into the new government's economic plans as a driver of development and a key support for local communities, ensuring the long-term sustainability of reconstruction efforts. He discussed the current archaeological policy focusing on assessing damages to archaeological sites, conducting maintenance operations, and preparing infrastructure for sites in preparation for resuming excavation work under a new plan. Furthermore, Dr. Zaidan stressed the urgent need to rehabilitate museums in Syria through designing modern exhibition scenarios, restoring artifacts, training local staff, enhancing international cooperation to recover stolen artifacts, and improving security and storage systems. He concluded by emphasizing that Syrian heritage is not just a national legacy but an integral part of the global human heritage, requiring genuine international solidarity to preserve this cultural heritage for future generations. The conference, held from June 2nd to June 7th, is a prestigious scientific platform bringing together a select group of researchers specializing in the study of Ancient Near Eastern archaeology.