Washington returns 36 stolen antiquities to Syria in deal worth over $5 million

American officials announced on Wednesday the return of 36 stolen antiquities to Syria, including a stone sculpture illegally smuggled out during the period when the Islamic State (ISIS) destroyed the ancient site of Palmyra.

U.S. authorities seized these items, with a combined value exceeding $5 million, from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, as well as from several art and antiquities collectors.

According to a statement, the sculpture was removed from the UNESCO World Heritage-listed site of Palmyra before ISIS militants destroyed large parts of the city between 2015 and 2017.

The limestone sculpture weighs more than 450 kilograms and depicts a reclining man surrounded by a woman and three children.

In previous years, the United States has returned stolen antiquities to several countries, including China, Greece, and Italy.

Mohammad Qanatri, the Chargé d’Affaires at the Syrian Embassy in Washington, stated in a statement that this transfer demonstrates how “a shared commitment to protecting cultural heritage can build lasting bridges between our two countries.”

Four of these Syrian antiquities were seized from American collector Michael Steinhardt, who in 2021 returned approximately 180 stolen items from around the world under an agreement with the U.S. government, with a total value of $70 million.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office noted that the 13 items seized from the Metropolitan Museum of Art were part of 402 antiquities valued at $98.7 million that the office had seized from the cultural institution since 2017.