Experts from Oman and Russia will begin restoration of Syrian relics

MUSCAT, February 23, Yulia Troitskaya. This year specialists from the Sultanate of Oman and Russia will begin restoring a new batch of ancient objects damaged during the hostilities in Syria, which will take place in Muscat and will take two years, Jamal bin Hassan al-Musawi, secretary general of the National Museum of Oman, said in an interview.
“As for our cooperation (with Russia — ed.) on the territory of Syria, it began at the end of 2019, when our first visit to Damascus took place and a meeting was held with the General Director of the State Hermitage and with the leadership of Syria… Since October 2019 Since 2009, we have a special agreement with the Syrian Arab Republic, which allows us, the only country in the world, to accept antiquities from Syria, official Damascus, for temporary storage in Oman as a neutral territory.As part of the temporary storage, we provide assistance in the restoration of these items. More than 200 objects, more precisely 207 objects, were restored in the first stage — this is 2021-2022 in Muscat… This year we will accept the second batch of ancient objects from Syria, it will contain 200-300 objects. The work will last 2 years, We will also attract Russian specialists for restoration,” said al-Musawi.

According to him, specialists from the Hermitage were already working in Oman within the walls of the National Museum on the restoration of monuments from Syrian Palmyra that were damaged by terrorists. Omani specialists worked on the restoration of the remaining items. “These are objects that were damaged exclusively during hostilities, these are damage received either as a result of explosions or due to physical impact. Then there was an exhibition of these objects, the first exhibition in the world that was dedicated to the Syrian ancient civilization — archeology over the past 14 -15 years. It took place in Oman. At the end of 2022, we returned these items to Damascus safe and sound,” added the secretary general of the museum.

He emphasized that such a unique format and experience of work at the international level as between the State Hermitage, the National Museum of Oman and the Syrian Ministry of Culture does not exist anywhere else.