Dr. Anas Haj Zeidan, Director of the Syrian Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums (DGAM) visits Poland at the invitation of Professor Artur Obłuski, Director of the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology of the University of Warsaw (PCMA UW). This marks the first visit to Poland by a representative of the Syrian authorities responsible for antiquities since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011.
The visit underscores the long-standing cooperation between PCMA UW and DGAM Syria, especially in the field of archaeological research and heritage protection. At the University of Warsaw, Dr. Zeidan’s schedule includes meetings with the Rector of the University of Warsaw, Professor Alojzy Nowak, and Chancellor Robert Grey. It also features meetings with PCMA UW faculty members, including Prof. Grzegorz Majcherek, the head of PCMA UW expedition to Palmyra.
Dr. Zeidan’s stay includes a visit to the University of Warsaw campus and Warsaw’s Old Town—an iconic symbol of post-war restoration and cultural resilience. Another point in the program is a visit to the e Faculty of Conservation and |Restoriation of Works of Art at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, reflecting a shared interest in heritage preservation.
A special highlight is a visit to the National Museum in Warsaw to meet Prof. Agnieszka Lajus, the museum’s director, and see exhibits sourced from PCMA UW archaeological excavations in Sudan and Syria.
Further discussions on cultural heritage management have been scheduled to take place during a meeting at the National Institute of Cultural Heritage of Poland. Topics for discussion include digitization of monuments and combating illicit trafficking of cultural property.
This visit comes shortly after a PCMA UW delegation, led by Prof. Obłuski, traveled to Syria in March for a visit coordinated by the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Damascus. During this trip, they held talks with the DGAM, among others, on the ancient site of Palmyra, the UNESCO World Heritage site devastated by war and extremism.
PCMA UW’s connection with Palmyra dates back to 1959, with its expedition continuing archaeological research there until the beginning of civil unrest in Syria in the spring of 2011. The site’s significance in the PCMA’s legacy is such that the Lion of Palmyra has been adopted as the PCMA’s logo since 2017. (For more on PCMA’s work in Palmyra, see here).
Before 2011, PCMA UW also carried out significant research at other Syrian sites including Tell Qaramel (Neolithic period settlement), Tell Arbid (Bronze and Iron Age town), and Hawarte (Roman/Byzantine-period Mithraeum), as well as rescue excavations in areas affected by dam construction. (For more on PCMA’s work in Syria, see here).
The current visit not only reaffirms the commitment of both institutions to protecting Syria’s rich cultural heritage but also signals a hopeful step toward the revival of international collaboration in the region. With this aim in mind, joint meetings were held with representatives of the Faculty of Archaeology of the University of Warsaw, focusing on potential avenues for research cooperation.
– “During our meetings with Dr. Zeidan, we outlined the priorities for our cooperation and discussed the first steps toward their implementation. The plans primarily concern conservation activities and training programs for Syrian specialists,” – explains Prof. Obłuski. He emphasizes that both sides expressed a willingness to strengthen and deepen the collaboration, including through the exchange of researchers and students.
These discussions emphasized the importance of coordinated efforts across disciplines and institutions for supporting the recovery and preservation of Syria’s heritage.
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Meeting with Dr. Anan Zeidan, the Director-General of Antiquities and Museums of Syria at PCMA UW (Photo Agnieszka Szymczak/PCMA UW) -
Dr. Anan Zeidan with heads of PCMA UW expeditions in Syria (Photo Agnieszka Szymczak/PCMA UW) -
Dr. Anan Zeidan (left) meets with University of Warsaw archaeologists (from left: Dr. Mariusz Drzewiecki, Deputy Director of the PCMA; Tomasz Kania, Arabist; Prof. Grzegorz Majcherek, head of the PCMA expedition to Palmyra; Prof. Artur Obłuski, PCMA Director; Prof. Bartosz Kontny, Dean of the Faculty of Archaeology; Dr. Dagmara Wielgosz, archaeologist; Prof. Krzysztof Jakubiak, head of the Department of Oriental Archaeology, Faculty of Archaeology; Prof. Piotr Bieliński, head of the PCMA Board; George Yacoub, Arabist and archaeologist). (Photo Agnieszka Szymczak/PCMA UW)
