Japanese newspaper: Syria is home to cultural heritage sites that tell the history of humanity

Tokyo-(ST)- The Japanese newspaper Ayumi Ori confirmed that Syria is home to many cultural heritage sites that tell an important history of humanity, including the beginnings of agriculture and urban civilization, noting that the vandalism and destruction of some antiquities and symbols of Syrian culture at the hands of terrorists after 2011 is a serious problem.

The newspaper said in an article entitled Syrian Treasures in Danger: “The Archaeological Research Institute in the city of Kashihara conducted training in 2023 to transfer restoration and excavation techniques to Syrian cultural heritage experts as part of the friendship project linked to the Silk Road,” adding: “A collective exhibition is now being held to introduce the content of the program.” The training session at the Kokkine Museum helps those interested and introduces them to the danger to which Syrian antiquities treasures are exposed.”

The newspaper continued: “In 2017, the Japanese government began providing support to the General Directorate of Syrian Museums and Antiquities through the United Nations Development Programme, with the aim of protecting and saving the Syrian cultural heritage, which occupies an important place in the world history.”

The newspaper indicated that training was conducted in three phases in 2023, which included two Syrian archaeologists visiting the Kashihara Institute and working in research sites to learn restoration techniques in emergency situations, in addition to holding a training course at the Damascus National Museum to teach 9 young researchers basic restoration methods, using stone statues from the city of Palmyra, which was destroyed by terrorists. In addition, the archaeologist and technical advisor Kiyohide Saito, and others have transferred the latest excavation techniques to excavation teams from the Syrian Directorate of Antiquities and Museums.

Technical Advisor Saito stressed that participating in cultural support for Syria is of global importance from the perspective of international exchange and international contribution, especially at the present time, hoping that he will be able to continue working for as long as possible and that training will take place again this year in Kashihara and other institutions.

In a statement to a SANA correspondent, the Director of Antiquities and Museums in Damascus Muhammad Nazir Awad said: “The Japanese newspaper’s article entitled “Syrian Treasures are in Danger” is very important because Syria is a country rich in antiquities and heritage, and it is important on the archaeological and cultural level because it is located in the heart of the ancient world and has important cultural achievements”.

In a statement to a SANA correspondent, the Director of Antiquities and Museums in Damascus, Muhammad Nazir Awad, said: The Japanese newspaper’s article entitled “Syrian Treasures are in Danger” is very important because Syria is a country rich in antiquities and heritage, and it is important on the archaeological and cultural level because it is located in the heart of the ancient world and has important cultural achievements.

Awad stated that the Directorate of Antiquities and Museums has important relations with the Japanese Kashihara Institute, which provided many forms of cooperation and contributions to the Directorate during the war on Syria, in addition to its contribution by providing assistance in enhancing the expertise of workers in the Directorate, as many of them received training courses in Beirut and Japan in the field of skills related to management of antiquities including documentation, photography, restoration and excavation management and others.

The Director of Antiquities and Museums indicated that the Kashihara Institute also provided logistical support through a set of computers, cameras, etc., all of which are technology that helps complete documentation and digitization files, documenting and evaluating the damages, in addition to  the  documentation of various works for the antiquities that were subjected to vandalism and ways to protect and preserve them and other artifacts from archaeological sites in museums.

Awad stated that working with this institute is important and has led to positive results in increasing the experience of the employees of the Directorate of Antiquities and Museums in various specializations in the field of museum management, excavation, restoration, documentation, and management of historical buildings.

Hanan Shamout