President Al-Assad grants Italian archeologist Paolo Matthiae the Syrian Order of Merits of Excellent Degree

Damascus – President Bashar Al-Assad has granted the Italian archeologist Paolo Matthiae the Syrian Order of Merits of Excellent Degree in recognition of his important achievements in the field of archeological excavations in Syria throughout 59 years and in appreciation of his great role in introducing the Syrian archeological sites, antiquities and cultural identity to the European peoples.

Matthiae was awarded the Order of Merits by Vice-President Najah Al-Attar.

This came on Monday on the sidelines of the second day of the International Conference ” the Latest Results of Syrian Archeological Research and the Repercussions of the Earthquake, being held by the Ministry of Culture – the General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums- in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism at the Damascus National Museum. Researchers and archaeologists from Syria, Italy, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Germany participated in the conference.

Dr. Al-Attar said that Matthiae, whose fame resonates worldwide, has done a great scientific job by discovering the Syrian Kingdom of Ebla, an ancient civilization similar to the civilization of the Nile Valley and parallel to the civilization of Mesopotamia.

“It was also wonderful to discover, through more than 17, 000 ancient tablets, that the Ebla society was indeed a secular society, dominated by a kind of social justice unknown in other discovered kingdoms, and it was important to know that the Italian mission headed by Matthiae sought relentlessly to discover a contemporary archive of the Babylonian Empire during the era of Hammurabi, especially after the mission had discovered in the huge archive of Ebla a collection of important antiquities dating back to that era,” Al-Attar went on to say.

For her part, Culture Minister Lubana Mshaweh said that Matthiae spent about 40 years of his life excavating the antiquities of Ebla, and he remained the head of the Italian archaeological mission in Tel Mardikh from 1963 until 2011, when work at the site stopped due to the war on Syria. He also established an archaeological mission in Tel Afis and another one in Tel Tuqan.

She pointed out that Matthiae’s forced absence from Syria caused him pain, as Syria has been his second homeland as he always said, so he did not hesitate to return to the country in 2022, despite all the obstacles and pressures, as the scientific director of a new Italian mission and yesterday to attend the opening of the conference.

She explained that between 1963 and 2019, Matthiae published nearly 185 scientific papers on Syria, its civilization and archaeological sites, and 23,000 books that are among the most important scientific references on ancient Syrian civilizations, especially on the archaeological site of Ebla.

Mshaweh pointed out that Matthiae founded a number of scientific magazines specialized in studies on Ebla and a center for the Ebla archive, and he organized dozens of exhibitions on Ebla, Mari and Ugarit, indicating that he was under great pressure due to his good works on Syria.

“Matthiae remained loyal to Syria during the war and before it and he loved and supported the country during good times and bad times, and today Syria reciprocates by expressing its love and loyalty to this great archeologist,” Mshaweh said.

Matthiae, for his part, expressed his gratitude for receiving the highst degree of merit for his work as an archaeologist who dedicated his lifetime to discovering the most ancient monuments and civilizations.

He added “Ebla is the home of a very important civilization, and it was the most important in the history of the ancient East and the medieval centuries,” noting that Ebla’s importance goes back to the year 23 BC, and this is important for all history due to the emergence of a new language and culture after the discovery of the Ebla Palace, and thus Syria strengthened its position and historical status that matches the civilization of the Nile and Mesopotamia.

“This discovery was appreciated by the late President Hafez Al-Assad, who was very interested in our work. This interest and support also continued under President Bashar Al-Assad, as First Lady, Mrs. Asma Al-Assad visited the Ebla site, and the Italian University of Spenza presented an honorary doctorate to Mrs. Asma Al-Assad for her interest in the Syrian cultural heritage,” Matthiae made it clear.

Hamda Mustafa