The return took place during a ceremony in New York, as part of international efforts to combat the illicit trafficking of antiquities and ease the return of looted cultural property.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg; Mohammad Nasser Qanatri, Charge d’Affaires of the Syrian Embassy in Washington; and Syria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ibrahim Olabi, alongside other officials and diplomats, participated in the ceremony.

Bragg affirmed in a statement that the return of the pieces is “a powerful reminder that the preservation of cultural heritage transcends borders and nationalities.”

Among the returned objects is a large limestone funerary relief from Palmyra, looted during the period when the terrorist group Islamic State (Daesh, in Arabic) occupied the ancient Syrian city.

During the years of conflict in Syria, many archaeological sites across the country were subjected to looting, destruction, and illicit trafficking.

Among them is Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

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