The Syrian Arab Republic, referred to as Syria, is located in the western part of the Asian continent, on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, bordered by Serki to the north, Iraq to the southeast, Jordan to the south, Lebanon and Israel to the southwest, cyprus to the west across the sea, and the capital is Damascus.
Since ancient times, because it is located at the crossroads of the three continents of Asia, Africa and Europe, various cultures have exchanged and blended here, thus forming a unique Syrian culture.
Syria existed as a primitive city-state since 3000 BC and was ruled by the Assyrian Empire, the Macedonian Empire, the Roman Empire, the Arab Empire, the European Crusaders, the Mamluk Dynasty of Egypt, and the Ottoman Empire since the 8th century BC.
After World War I, Syria became a French mandate. It gained independence on 17 April 1946. Since 1963, the Arab Ba'ath Party, led by the Assad family, has been in power. Beginning in early 2011, a protracted conflict between the Syrian government and the Syrian opposition erupted.
Syria has more than 3,500 monuments, which have left a rich and colorful cultural heritage because they have been ruled by Assyrian, Macedonian, Roman, Arab and other regimes. Like a "kaleidoscope of civilization", this land has preserved the thick historical context of different civilizations inheriting here, and its antiquity and splendor are awe-inspiring.
The "Kaleidoscope of Civilization - Exhibition of Ancient Syrian Cultural Relics" of the Jinsha Site Museum tells the historical process of Syria from the Paleolithic Age, through the Bronze and Iron Ages, to the Hellenistic, Roman and Islamic Eras through 183 exhibits (sets) of exhibits, with the flow of historical time as the main line.
01
dawn
Syria is a country with a long history and ancient civilization, as far back as the early Paleolithic Age, Syria has had the activities of primitive humans, leaving a wealth of primitive cultural relics and relics.
Around 4000 BC, the inhabitants there began to settle and used bronze ware. In 3000 BC, Syria transitioned from a primitive to a slave society, and a number of slave city-states centered on commercial cities emerged.
--- Paleolithic imprints ---
The Paleolithic culture of ancient Syria is closely related to Africa and Europe, and the early Remnants of the Helithic Age are mainly choppers and hand axes, the middle period is characterized by the stone chip culture, and in the late period, there are combinations of carvings, stone leaves and fine stone leaves. Humans living in this period gradually mastered the skills of stone tools, early settlements began to appear, and forms of social organization gradually diversified.
9200 BC - 7500 BC. Damascus National Museum
Several Paleolithic human settlement sites have been found in the Syrian region, of which the Latamne site in zeta town in northern Hama province is one of the early and middle representatives, dating from the Pleistocene (about 2.5 million years ago - 10,000 years BC).
Archaeologists have found traces of early human activity in the local river sand silt, speculating that it once lived in a human settlement that made a living from gathering and hunting, and they lived here for about 500,000 years, using stone axes, choppers, scrapers as weapons and tools, building houses with stones and branches, and using fire for heating, lighting, defense and cooking.
Engraved stone tools 9200 BC - 8800 BC. Aleppo Museum
This hand axe is typical of the early Paleolithic Acheulian culture. The artifacts of the Ashel culture are mainly hand axes, thin-bladed axes, hand pickaxes, large stone knives, etc., of which the hand axe is the most distinctive tool. The Axel is made from both sides to form a thinner tip at the end, and the other end is wide and thick in the shape of teardrops. Due to the basic symmetry of the left and right sides and the front and back sides, it is recognized as the first standardized heavy tool in human history, representing the highest technical level of stone tool processing in the evolution of ancient humans.
Hand axe 500,000-300,000 years ago. Damascus National Museum
--- Neolithic Transformation ---
During the Neolithic age, agriculture and animal husbandry in ancient Syria were gradually established and became the main source of economy, and grinding stone tools began to be widely used. Around 7000 BC, pottery appeared and became the key to the transformation of the settlement.
In the late Neolithic period, large-scale settlements began to form in parts of Syria, people made more exquisite faience pottery, built temples and palaces, the social division of labor gradually became significant, class differentiation began to sprout, and a new way of life combining economic and social factors appeared, laying the foundation for the development of the city-state after that.
With the continuous improvement of social productivity, the people of the Two Rivers Valley began the evolution of civilization from villages to cities. This process is marked by The Hasuna, Samara, Khalaf, Obeid, Uruk, etc., and these cultures have a certain continuity.
Ruins of KharafChu.
One of the representatives of the early culture of the Two Rivers Valley, named after the Ruins of Tell Halaf, dates from about 5500 BC to 4500 BC. Its main features are circular house architecture, female terracotta statues, and amulets of various shapes. The pottery of the Haraf culture is brightly colored, the walls are thin, and the shape of the vessel is rich.
Clay sculpture 5000-4500 BC. Aleppo Museum
The Ubaid culture gets its name from the Obeid Hill in the southern part of the Two Rivers Valley, and its main symbols are faience and temples. Between 4500 BC and 4300 BC, some of the Halaf settlements in the northern part of the Two Rivers Valley were abandoned, and the circular houses and faience types popular in the Haraf culture were gradually replaced by the square houses and other pottery types of the Obeid culture. The pottery of the Obeid culture is made using the pottery wheel making method, and the color of the vessel is not bright enough, and the decoration is more conformist.
The Uruk culture is named after the city of Uruk and dates from about 3500 BC to 3100 BC. During this period, the copper smelting industry continued to develop, and copper tools were widely used. On the basis of inheriting the previous culture, the Uruk culture has formed some new characteristics, mainly manifested in the birth of the city and the formation of the way of life of the citizens, the emergence of large-scale temples and palace buildings, the production of writing, and the invention of the drum seal, which marked the birth of human civilization.
Model of a house 2400-2000 BC. Damascus National Museum
In the Neolithic age, the invention and technological innovation of pottery were closely related to the development of human society. Pottery emerged in the northern part of the Two Rivers Basin (in present-day Iraq) and was introduced to Syria as an important material culture. Around 6800 BC, pottery appeared along the Euphrates River and in the Balikh Valley region of Syria, originally as rough pottery.
Hedgehog-shaped wine vessel 3400-3100 BC. Aleppo Museum
From about 6000 BC, rough pottery was replaced by faience pottery, and successively appeared Samara culture and Kharaf culture faience pottery, of which Khalaf culture faience pottery is very exquisite, the composition is rich and gorgeous, firing high finish, is considered to be the peak of ancient Near Eastern faience pottery.
Flowing pottery jar 3400 BC - 3100 BC. Aleppo Museum
02
change
Between 3100 BC and 1200 BC, with the rise of the city-state, the development of metallurgical technology, metal products and various types of gemstones have appeared on the stage of human society, which has become an important symbol of the opening of the Syrian Bronze Age.
--- Rise of the early city-states ---
From 3000 BC to 2000 BC, in the early Bronze Age, as cities developed, people began to live in large and small city-states. The use of bronze products greatly increased productivity, increased food production, could feed the city-state leaders and priests, and became increasingly divided into classes, which led to an increase in the social division of labor.
Bronze deer 1600-1200 BC. Latakia Museum
Various city-states began to build temples and palaces on a large scale, writing and scribes began to appear, pottery, sculpture, jewelry and other handmade products were unprecedentedly developed, and artistic creation entered a peak period.
The ancient city of Mali, located in the southern part of the province of Deir Ezzor, dates back to around 3000 BC. From 1933 to 1974, archaeologists excavated the site and found temples, palaces, statues, scrolls, etc., which provide strong evidence for the study of the historical development of the Two Rivers Basin from 3000 BC to the 18th century BC.
Statue of the worshipper 2600-2400 BC. Damascus National Museum
Mosaics are made of shells, pearls, lapis lazuli, etc. on asphalt-brushed wooden panels, and they represent a variety of subjects, such as devout worshippers, scenes of war and victory celebrations. Mosaic art originated in the Two Rivers Valley and exerted an important influence on mosaic mosaics in ancient Greek and Hellenistic Roman art.
Mother-of-pearl inlay 2600-2400 BC. Damascus National Museum
Excavations at the Braquechu site in northern Syria began between 1937 and 1938 and revealed the remains of many important historical periods from prehistory to Islamic times in its strata. Among them, the archaeological remains of the Uruk period are a reflection of the local cultural traditions of Syria, including the site of the "Eye Temple" from about 2900 BC.
Bird-shaped eyeliner balm container 2400 BC - 2000 BC. Damascus National Museum
The site contains thousands of relief dolls made of alabaster, and its most prominent feature is that the eyes of the puppets almost occupy the face of the portrait, and there are various styles such as one eye, two eyes, and four eyes. Excavators have referred to such temples as "temples of the eye," and the dolls may have been offerings to the temples by locals, reflecting the local Art Style of Syria.
--- Medium-Term Boom in Commerce ---
Beginning in the early 2nd millennium BC, Syria opened up a new direction of foreign trade. Imported goods can reach Syria's coastal ports directly through the Euphrates River, urbanization has accelerated, the demand for foreign goods by elites has increased, and exchanges and development between countries and regions have gradually flourished, and this new trade direction has made Syria a crossroads of land and sea traffic.
Long before the opening of the Silk Road, a network of international trade routes had emerged on the Asian continent, the most famous of which was the lapis lazuli trade, which was historically called the "Lapis Lazuli Road". As one of the most precious gemstones, lapis lazuli was loved by the upper classes of the Two Rivers Valley. Lapis lazuli from Afghanistan is transported to Iran as a raw material for ornaments, where it is sliced, washed, processed and then transported to the Two Rivers Valley.
Lapis lazuli necklace 2000 BC - 1600 BC. Damascus National Museum
The lapis lazuli trade greatly promoted the commercial development of cities along the route, such as the city of Ebra in Syria's Idlib province, which is one of the important trade centers in the Two Rivers Valley. Archaeologists have found not only the Eblad Royal Archives and thousands of cuneiform clay tablets here, but also 20 kilograms of rough lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, as well as imported linen fabrics, oil and timber, which are important physical evidence for studying the trade flows of Ebra.
Necklace 2000 BC - 1600 BC. Damascus National Museum
Around 3000 BC, the earliest gold products appeared in Syria. Around 2500 BC, craftsmen in the southern part of the Two Rivers Valley, Syria and other places gathered, reproduced and imitated the processes of different civilizations and regions on the basis of metallurgy and metalworking technology, so as to create a new "fine gold craft".
The fine gold process is the filigree of gold and silver and the granulation technique, and it is decorated on the surface of the gold ware by welding. After 2000 BC, it entered the period of great spread of gold craftsmanship, and the exchange represented by gold craftsmanship also became an important embodiment of cultural and economic exchanges between different countries in ancient Eurasia.
Necklace 2000 BC - 1600 BC. Aleppo Museum
Ancient Syria, because of its unique geographical location, has been in a particularly important strategic position since ancient times, and has established extensive commercial exchanges with the Near East and even the countries along the Mediterranean coast.
Among them, the ruins of Tunichu and Sukaschu are witnesses to the prosperity of trade at that time, both of which are located near the city of Jappal, which was an important port at that time, and it was located on the Mediterranean coast, which was convenient for transporting goods to the surrounding areas and developing foreign trade.
Roll printing is the most representative material relic of the Two Rivers Basin, which has appeared as early as 4000 BC, and is mostly tubes with carved patterns, usually carved from limestone, ivory, crystal or other hard stones. In use, the rolling print undertakes a function similar to "signature" to identify someone or to mark the goods letters and official documents, which greatly facilitates the exchange of goods between different regions.
Cuneiform was created by the Sumerians of the Two Rivers Valley and is known as "cuneiform" because of its resembling a nail or wedge. It first appeared in the Uruk period in 3500 BC, initially describing only what was associated with economic activity, and subsequently expanding into various aspects such as temple offerings, king inscriptions, war records, and letters.
After the emergence of cuneiform, it was borrowed by other ethnic groups in the Two Rivers Valley to write different languages, such as Akkadian, Hittite, etc., almost all ethnic groups in the region have adopted this writing system, and cuneiform has thus become an important medium for communication and communication, promoting the exchange and integration of different ethnic groups in cultural, religious, economic and other aspects.
Cuneiform clay tablets 2000-1600 BC. Deir Ezzor Museum
--- Decline of Late Civilizations ---
At the end of the 16th century BC, the late Bronze Age, the former city-state system of the two river basins collapsed, and kingdoms ruled by different ethnic groups took turns to appear, entering the era of great power competition. The political, economic and food crises of this period led to a gradual decline in social order, economic development and cultural construction in the Syrian region. From the 12th century BC, the late Bronze Civilization represented by the Syrian city-states declined successively, which marked the collapse of the Late Bronze Age and the arrival of the Iron Age.
The Ugarit site is located on a plain 10 km north of Latakia Province and was settled here from the Neolithic to the late Bronze Age. The remains of the kingdom of Ugarit belonged to the Bronze Age, and in terms of its territorial size, political influence, and military strength, it should have been of medium size at that time. Thousands of clay tablets of cuneiform scripts related to religion, administration, literature, commerce, law, and diplomacy have been excavated from the site, recording theology, astronomy, rituals, poetry, and rituals.
Ugarit clay tablets 1600-1200 BC. Damascus National Museum
In addition, a large number of works of art have been unearthed, such as statues of kings and gods, pottery, ivory carvings, roll prints, etc. Around the 12th century BC, the socio-political crisis, the upheaval of the international environment, and the invasion of the sea peoples led to the withdrawal of the Ugarita kingdom from the historical stage.
Akkadian clay tablets, cuneiform clay tablets 1600-1200 BC. Damascus National Museum
Sun worship is a cultural phenomenon that was prevalent in the early days of the world, and different geographical and cultural environments have created the diversity of sun worship. The worship of the sun in ancient Syria can be traced back to the prehistoric period and changed with the passage of time, such as the worship of the sun god Shamash in the early Bronze Age, and the worship of the sun god Helios in the classical period.
Sun motifs also often appear on pottery, stone carvings, roll prints and other types of utensils. In China, the worship of the sun was also a common custom of the ancient Shu people during the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, who created various utensils and exquisite ornaments symbolizing the sun, such as the sun-shaped vessel of Sanxingdui and the gold ornament of the sun god bird in Jinsha.
In ancient times, the people of the Two Rivers Valley believed that the gods lived in temples and had close ties with humans, and in order to know God's will, people sought God's revelation through divination. There are many forms of divination, such as "dream divination" and "liver divination".
"Dreaming" refers to the person who seeks to sleep in a temple, praying to God to give inspiration in a dream, dreaming that different animals represent different signs. And "liver divination" refers to divination through the sacrifice of the liver, people believe that the liver is the place where mental activity is placed, when the animal is sacrificed to God as a sacrifice, God's thoughts will enter the animal's liver, so the fortune teller can explain God's thoughts and actions through changes in the form of the liver.
03
Hegemony
Between 1200 BC and 333 BC, Syria became a place of contention because of its occupation of important trade routes between the East and the West in ancient times, and after entering the Iron Age, the civilizations of the East and the West were like vehicles coming from all directions, which were incorporated into the sequence of Syrian civilization exchanges, and after conflict and integration, they spread to neighboring areas.
--- Wimang of the Assyrian Empire ---
At the end of the 10th century BC, the Assyrians re-emerged from the northern part of the Two Rivers Valley, and after more than two centuries of conquest, they eventually ruled the southern part of the Two Rivers Valley, Egypt and other regions. Nasirpa II , the first king of the Neo-Assyrian period ( 883 BC – 859 BC ) began decorating the palace with reliefs.
Since then, assyrian palace architecture and relief art have become the best carriers to highlight its glory and needs. This artistic style had a profound influence on syria and left behind a number of precious relics from the Assyrian period, paintings and sculptures.
Assyrian history is divided into three periods: ancient Assyria (c. 2000 BC – 18th century BC), Central Assyria (1400 BC – 1050 BC) and Neo-Assyria (934 BC – 612 BC). Among them, Neo-Assyria was the most powerful period in its history, and several great kings emerged, such as Nasirpa II and Banipal.
The Woman in the Window 900-800 BC. Aleppo Museum
The Sphinx was an important artistic theme in ancient Eurasia, originally derived from Egyptian mythology, and then spread to the Two Rivers Valley, Asia Minor, the Aegean Sea, Central Asia, the Eurasian steppe, and the Chinese Loulan region. The Sphinx is described as a winged monster, it is usually male in Egyptian mythology and it evolved into a female monster in Greek mythology. Legend has it that there are three types of Sphinxes, namely the human-faced lion, the sheep-headed lion, and the eagle-headed lion.
Sphinx carvings 900-800 BC. Aleppo Museum
--- The Dispute between Neo-Babylon and Achaemenids in Persia ---
In the late 7th century BC, the Babylonian kingdom, located in the southern part of the Two Rivers Valley, gradually became stronger, defeated the Assyrian Empire, and began to rule Syria. In 539 BC, Cyrus II, the Persian king, defeated the last king of Babylon, and Persia began its rule over Syria for more than 200 years. Although Syria was occupied by Babylon and Persia in turn during this period, the development of its civilization has been interrupted from the end, and there are still rich historical relics.
Frescoes 1200-539 BC. Aleppo Museum
The Kingdom of Babylon was an important part of the civilization of the Two Rivers Valley, and its history was divided into three periods: the Kingdom of Ancient Babylon (c. 19th century BC – 16th centuries BC), which ruled the land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, and its famous king Hammurabi formulated the first surviving written code. The Kingdom of Central Babylon (c. 16th century BC – 11th century BC), also known as the Cachet Dynasty, unified the southern part of the Two Rivers Valley. The Neo-Babylonian Kingdom (625 BC – 539 BC), also known as the Chaldean Kingdom, ruled over regions such as Syria in the southern part of the Two Rivers Valley. At the end of the 6th century BC, with the invasion of the Persian Empire, the Babylonians ended their rule in the Two Rivers Valley.
During the Persian Empire's rule of Syria, Hellenistic towns and commercial colonies began to appear along the Coast of Syria, such as Amrit in Tartus Province, an important Hellenistic town in Syria. The temple of Hercules in Greek mythology has been found in the center of the site, there is a royal cemetery in the southeast, a large number of cemeteries in the east and northeast, and there are stone and pottery statues with burial items.
Portrait of a figure from 500 BC. Tartus Museum
04
Fusion
From 333 BC to 1516 AD, the Syrian region was conquered by Greece, Rome and other countries, and then there was a great cultural integration and entered a new era.
--- Fusion of the Hellenistic Era ---
After the division of Alexander's empire, in 312 BC, Seleucus I established the Seleucid Dynasty on its own basis in Babylon, the largest dynasty in the Hellenistic state at that time. Because of its rule in Syria, it is also known as the Kingdom of Syria in history, and the Chinese history books are called Tiaozhi.
The rulers of the Seleucid dynasty pursued Alexander the Great's Hellenistic policies, including the establishment of Hellenistic cities, the construction of military forts or settlements, and the change of the original city names to Greek names, so that syria itself experienced a deep Hellenistic influence. In 64 BC, the Seleucid dynasty was wiped out by Rome.
After Syria entered the Hellenistic era, the temple became the most obvious place where the fusion of Eastern and Western cultures was most pronounced. The fusion of the gods of the East and the West is mainly manifested in: on the one hand, the Greek god and the god of the East are corresponding, so that people are easily accepted in concepts; on the other hand, the ideas and rituals of the Eastern religion are integrated into the religious activities of the Greek immigrants, so that there is a new god that integrates the characteristics of the gods of the East and the West and the worship rituals, such as the main god of Greece, Zeus, who is called Zeus-Hippsisus in Syria.
Ancient Greek silver coins Late 4th century BC. Damascus National Museum
--- Total Victory in the Roman Period ---
Beginning in 64 BC, syria was incorporated into the Roman Empire as a province for 600 years (including during the Eastern Roman Empire) and was the center of Roman power in the Near East. During this period, Rome exerted an important influence on syria's architecture, religion, and many other aspects. Cultural integration in Syria has also gradually accelerated, garden art has reached its peak, commercial advantages have been highlighted, and its linen products, Damascus alabaster, limestone products, bronze and glassware are widely popular.
In 27 BC, the Roman Empire was founded. In 395, Rome split into two empires, East and West, and Syria was ruled by Eastern Rome. The Eastern Roman Empire, also known as the Byzantine Empire, established its capital in Constantinople, and its territory spanned the junction of Three Continents of Europe, Asia and Africa. Byzantine control of Syria was proclaimed in the 7th century with the rise of the Arab Empire and the conquest of Syria.
Syria's Roman cultural heritage is the first to promote architecture and sculpture. To this day, many parts of Syria still retain the layout characteristics of Roman cities, such as Palmyra, which is a typical Roman city, with triumphal arches, theaters, amphitheats, large squares and palaces.
At the same time, Palmyra is also named for its sculpture, especially the portrait sculpture has a variety of themes, both kings and nobles, as well as ordinary commoners, reflecting the Roman sculpture focus on realism and narrative, good at portraying the characteristics of the original appearance of the characters, is one of the artistic representatives of ancient Syria.
Limestone tomb statues of the 2nd century. Damascus National Museum
Ancient Rome embraced polytheism and was known as the "Kingdom of God". Its religious part originated in the White Greek era, and at the same time, it continued to incorporate gods from other cultures into its own system, which had a certain influence on the original religious system in Syria.
Standing lion stone slab relief 64-395 BC. Damascus National Museum
During the Roman period, polytheism and idolatry flourished in Syria, ranging from Apollo, the sun god from the Hellenistic world, to haddad, a fusion of Greco-Roman gods and local gods.
Stone sculpture of helios, the sun god, 2nd-3rd centuries. Damascus National Museum
--- Colorful --- of the Islamic World
After the Battle of Yarmouk, the Arab army conquered Syria, which was incorporated into the Arab map and began the process of Arabization and Islamization. After the arab army captured Damascus, Arab culture began to flourish in Syria, and Islam dominated.
Since then, Syria has ushered in a new era of cultural development, making important contributions to Arab-Islamic culture in many fields such as literary history, philosophy, language, and Qur'anic commentary, and enriching the treasure house of Arab-Islamic civilization.
Square glazed tiles 18th century. Damascus National Museum
After the conquest of Syria by the Arab army, its artistic style was deeply influenced by Arab-Islamic art, and the decorative arts had distinct characteristics, mostly used in decorative architecture, porcelain, etc., and the specific performance was that the decorative patterns were mostly plants and flowers
Hui, geometric figures, Arabic characters, decorative ornaments are more dense, and widely used blue, white, green and other shades.
Blue glazed clay pot 1171-1250. Damascus National Museum
Glazed pottery bowl 1250-1517. Damascus National Museum
05
dialogue
The Silk Road, like a major artery of exchanges between Eastern and Western civilizations, has promoted the circulation and exchanges between countries along the route in an all-round way, which is not only the road of envoys, the road of business travel, but also the road of cultural dissemination. The Silk Road also connected Syria and China, which are thousands of miles apart, and the two places have changed from the Han Dynasty onwards, exchanging trade and culture.
The exchanges between China and Syria have a long history and a long history. Chinese history books will be found in ancient Syria
The countries established by the district are called "Tiaozhi", "Great Qin", "Great Food" and so on.
China and West Asia established trade exchanges on the Silk Road, and Syria is an important area of the Silk Trade in West Asia, and Palmyra, Dura Europa and other places in Syria serve as relay stations and watersheds of the Silk Road, extending the Silk Road trade to the northwest to Europe and southwest to Egypt. Silk fabrics similar to those of China have also been unearthed in places such as Palmyra.
Silk fabrics 64-395 BC. Damascus National Museum
Porcelain is one of the great inventions of ancient China, which has spread rapidly to all parts of the world because of its exquisite shape, exquisite technology and excellent quality. In the middle of the 8th century, the relationship between the Tang Dynasty and the Arab Empire became closer because of porcelain, and after that, the song, yuan, and Ming dynasties, the number of porcelain sold to the Arab region in China was very considerable. Among them, Chinese porcelain pieces have been found in many places in Syria, indicating that Chinese porcelain is very popular in Syria.
Porcelain bottle 1250-1517. Damascus National Museum
Jingjiao, also known as "Great Qin Jingjiao" in the Tang Dynasty, originated in ancient Syria and was the earliest Christian sect introduced to China. In the ninth year of Tang Zhenguan (635), the missionary Syrian Aroben came to Chang'an along the Silk Road, and Jingjiao spread in China. The Tang Dynasty implemented a tolerant religious policy in the early and middle periods, and Jingjiao developed rapidly, lasting more than 200 years. After the difficulties of the Huichang religion, Jingjiao shifted from the interior to the frontier areas. After the establishment of the Yuan Dynasty, Jingjiao once again entered the Central Plains and expanded to the north and south, and the capital (present-day Beijing) and Quanzhou at that time became the centers of Jingjiao in the north and south respectively.
Palmyra is a famous ancient city on the Silk Road in Syria, located 215 kilometers north of Damascus, known as the "Bride of the Desert", it is not only an important transit point and meeting point for caravans on the ancient Silk Road, but also one of the important stations connecting China and West Asia.
Although Palmyra has been famous for 4,000 years, it was not until the Roman period that it became a real city due to the merchant travel of various countries. Due to its importance, Palmira was inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1980.
06
Exhibition information
The Golden Sands Site Museum's "Kaleidoscope of Civilization - Exhibition of Ancient Syrian Artifacts" can present the history and civilization of Syria to the audience through precious cultural relics, and it is necessary to mention an archaeologist, who is Khaled Asaad, one of the most important figures in the Syrian archaeological community in the twentieth century.
Assad worked for more than 50 years to protect the artifacts of the ancient city of Palmyra, and was the director of the Palmyra Heritage Bureau. In 2015, before the extremist group Islamic State entered the ancient city of Palmyra, Assad transferred the artifacts and refused to reveal the hiding location.
Extremist groups tucked Assad into a van and took him to a square crowded with shoppers, where they read out five charges against Him, calling him a "pagan" in Syria and visiting Iraq, a Shiite armed stronghold. Extremist groups then brutally murdered the 82-year-old archaeologist and hung his body on a colonnade in the main square of palmyra.
The exhibition "Kaleidoscope of Civilization - Exhibition of Ancient Syrian Cultural Relics" brings together exhibits from the Dunhuang Research Institute, the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Museum, the Xi'an Forest of Stone Steles Museum, the Damascus National Museum, the Aleppo Museum, the Deir Ezzor Museum, the Jappol Museum, the Latakia Museum, the Holmes Museum, the Tartus Museum, the Della Museum, and the Sveda Museum, and the exhibition will be held from December 30, 2021 to May 8, 2022.