Tartous-Sana
A number of researchers and specialists gave a presentation of the most important archaeological sites and discoveries in Tartus governorate within the symposium held by the General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums in cooperation with the Hungarian mission working in the Marqab Castle at Tartus Museum today.
The symposium, which came under the title “Archaeological Findings in Tartous,” was said by the Director General of Antiquities and Museums, Muhammad Awad, in a speech. It is a cultural meeting in an archaeological place where the Syrian identity that terrorism tried to destroy, pointing out that Tartous owns important archaeological sites and preserving them is a collective responsibility.
Director of Antiquities and Museums in Tartous, Marwan Hassan, indicated in a statement to SANA that the symposium includes main themes, during which the lecturers present information about the sites and the latest archaeological discoveries in the governorate. It ends with a general discussion session, in addition to an exhibition of books and publications for the Directorate and an exhibition of documentary photographs that are placed on the museum wall. Its information is replaced periodically every Eight months in order to provide all the latest information on the archaeological sites in the governorate.
Balaj Majour, director of the Hungarian side in the joint Syrian-Hungarian mission, explained that the mission has been working in Al-Marqab Castle since 2007 and achieved important results with the Syrian side, including the discovery of the largest painting in the castle church, which later turned into a mosque painted by European hands at the end of the twelfth century containing drawings of verses of John. Baptist.
Balaj pointed out that a third city was discovered on the site, covering an area of 10 hectares, which is a complete city surrounded by walls that are rooted in churches and a cemetery, making the area of Al-Marqab Castle with this discovery about three times larger than it was.
Dr. Hammam Saad, Director of Planning and Studies at the General Directorate, gave a lecture on the site of Amrit and its importance as a Phoenician city on the Syrian coast, and the archaeological elements that appeared in it since the beginning of works in the nineteenth century until now.
The work in Amrit, according to Saad, is part of the “Atlas of Archaeological Sites” project, which was launched by the Directorate of Excavation in the General Directorate at the beginning of this year with the aim of listing archaeological sites and their coordinates using a geographic information system with the inclusion of documents and information related to them to be a database available to researchers and those interested, with the formation of work teams in the governorates to conduct the survey Field and office to collect information and compare it with previous results.
Saad Ali, Head of the Excavation Division of the Tartous Department of Antiquities, gave an explanation about the site of “Tabat Barameel” in the town of Al-Mentar in the Al-Hamidiyah district, pointing out that work began on the site in early 2010 and consisted of experimental probes that later turned out to be an archaeological site in which a mosaic panel with plant, animal, engineering and lamp drawings was discovered A pottery containing 57 gold coins bearing images of emperors who ruled during the Byzantine period, in addition to other findings such as individual tombs and some archaeological finds.
The curator of Tartous Museum, Saba Omran, saw that conducting an archaeological activity at a historical archaeological site adds another value to the importance and position of the site, in addition to its contribution to expanding awareness among the younger generations of the importance of heritage and embodies the deep belonging to the roots.
Fatima Hussain