The Reopening of Syria’s National Museum

Syria’s National Museum has officially fully reopened to the public following years of conflict and uncertainty. The museum was founded in 1919 and is home to the country’s most important archaeological collections, including clay cuneiform tablets, Greco-Roman sculptures. The institution first closed in 2012 as fighting intensified around Damascus. Fearing looting and destruction, curators secretly evacuated most of the collection to secure, undisclosed locations. For years, only the museum’s outdoor garden was accessible to visitors. Interior halls remained sealed until a limited reopening in 2018. Now—just weeks after rebel forces toppled President Bashar al-Assad—the museum has resumed full operations. Staff describe both relief and pride that the artefacts survived the war unlooted and largely undamaged. “We closed the museum for security reasons,” said one official. “We feared looting or something similar would happen, but thankfully that didn’t occur.” It was closed again last month, when opposition forces took control of the capital, and the Assad Regime was toppled.