US returns 36 stolen antiquities worth over $5 million to Syria — Asharq Al-Awsat

The United States has returned 36 stolen antiquities to Syria with a total value of more than $5 million. They include a stone sculpture from ancient Palmyra, which was illegally exported before the Islamic State group destroyed a significant part of the city in 2015–2017, Asharq Al-Awsat reports.

Sculpture from Palmyra

According to US authorities, the carved limestone sculpture, weighing more than 450 kilograms, originates from Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It depicts a reclining man alongside a woman and three children.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said that repatriation ceremonies serve as a reminder that preserving cultural heritage is not limited by borders or nationality.

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Seizures from a museum and collectors

US authorities seized the artifacts from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and several antiquities collectors. Four items were seized from American collector Michael Steinhardt. In 2021, under an agreement with the US government, he returned about 180 items stolen from different countries, with a total value of $70 million.

The Manhattan District Attorney's Office said that 13 items seized from the Metropolitan Museum are among 402 antiquities worth a total of $98.7 million that the office has seized from the cultural institution since 2017.

Syria's chargé d'affaires in Washington, Mohammad Kanatri, called the transfer evidence of a shared commitment to protect cultural heritage. According to him, thanks to Syrian-American cooperation, part of Syria's history is returning home.