Syrian Antiquities in the European museums… a lecture by Dr. Nazih Baddour in Homs cultural Center

Several European museums contain a number of Syrian statues, inscriptions and antiquities that tells about the Syrian civilization and history.

Regarding the most important of these antiquities, Dr. Nazih Baddour, a researcher in the history of art and the ancient East and head of the Al-Adiyat Association in Homs, talked during lecture at the Cultural Center in Homs about the most important Syrian antiquities in European museums, including the Louvre Museum in France and the Hermitage Museum in Russia.

Baddour highlighted the archaeological and cultural value of these antiquities and art pieces and the necessity of preserving their Syrian identity, reviewing the most prominent ones in both museums.

In a statement to a SANA reporter, the Director of the Cultural Center in Homs, Wafa Younis, stated that European museums hoard many sculptures and artifacts discovered in Syria, which have high artistic value and historical importance. These antiquities leaked to Europe during the era of the Ottoman occupation of Syrian lands, and this continued at a higher rate during the French Mandate, indicating that the illegal antiquities collectors are still exploiting the state of instability in the Arab region to leak these antiquities.

Souha Suleiman