The first phase of restoring Palmyra’s archaeological arch of victory completed

The joint committees of the General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums and the Russian Academy of Sciences completed their field work in the first phase of the restoration of the Arc de Triomphe in accordance with the agreement signed in this regard to restore the brilliance to the historical site of Palmyra, which is on the World Heritage List, especially since its features have been damaged by the terrorist war on Syria.

According to a statement by the Antiquities and Museums Directorate, this phase was carried out under the supervision of experts from the Directorate.

The debris was examined through the latest equipment, part of which was brought by the Russian side. It was documented with three-dimensional technology, screened, numbered and systematically classified, and examined the rundown arch stones and the extent to which they could be reused in the second phase of reconstruction.

Systematic excavation was also carried out in the vicinity of the arch bases to ensure that there are no structural problems that might affect the reconstruction process, which would take into account the world’s standards for the restoration of archaeological monuments.

The costs of the first phase of the various works and mechanisms used were provided by the Syria Trust for Development, which is the third national partner in this project, according to the statement of the Directorate.

The Syria Trust for Development provided more than 160 million Syrian pounds for the implementation of the first phase.

It is worth mentioning that the restoration work is being carried out in cooperation between the Ministry of Culture, the General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums, the Syrian Trust for Development and the Archaeological Restoration Rescue Centre of the Institute of Material Culture History of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Amal Farhat