“The Lion of Palmyra” book by the Russian traveler “Andrei Rollan” presented during a cultural ceremony at the Syrian embassy in Moscow

As part of the activities held to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the establishment of Syrian-Russian relations, the Syrian embassy in Moscow on Saturday held a literary ceremony to present the book “The Lion of Palmyra” by the Russian traveler “Andrei Rollan”.

The Russian-language book highlighted the ancient city of Palmyra and its historical monuments before and after the terrorist war on Syria.

The Syrian ambassador to Moscow, Dr. Bashar al-Jaafari, said the book “The Lion of Palmyra” conveys the impressions of the traveler about the Syrian civilization of Palmyra and the distinction of its aesthetics in the history of the ancient East.

Al-Jaafari thanked the Russian archaeological experts for their contribution to the restoration of the global historical monuments that the Syrian land enjoys and which were destroyed by terrorist organizations. He especially thanked the experts of the Hermitage Museum in the city of Petersburg, which is called “the Palmyra of the North” due to its beauty and splendor.

Al-Jaafari presented a memorial shield to the author of the book as an expression of his deep appreciation for his interest in the Syrian civilization in Palmyra and his endeavor to transfer this civilization to the Russian reader.

In turn, the author of the book, the traveler “Andre Rollan”, confirmed that his interest in the history of the ancient world appeared since he was a student, and it increased especially in the history of ancient Syrian civilizations, indicating that reading books would not satisfy his passion for Syrian history, so he decided to visit Syria, whose history is full of all the secrets he is searching for.

Rolan described the city of Palmyra as the jewel of the Syrian desert, stressing that it is a great open historical museum under the sun.

The author pointed out that during his last visit, he witnessed the destruction that befell the ruins of this peaceful city that lived for centuries in peace in the desert, noting his desire that his observations be documented so that the jewel of the Syrian desert shines again.

“Rolan” said: His dream of documenting what he saw in Palmyra came true this year through the book “The Lion of Palmyra,” with a title inspired by a huge memorial in the Palmyra Museum of a lion in a state of readiness to protect a wounded gazelle, which indicates compassion and kindness to the historical monuments that are abundant in the land of Syria.

He noted the necessity of preserving and restoring historical monuments for the sake of peace and friendship between the peoples of Syria and Russia.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, Ambassador Al-Jaafari distributed copies of the book to the attendees, members of the community, media representatives and the Syrian and Russian social and literary personalities after the writer wrote a dedication on these copies.