Latest news with #HassanAlIsmail
Fox News
6 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Ancient Christian tomb complex revealed beneath rubble from Syria's civil war
A contractor recently stumbled across an ancient Christian tomb complex while clearing rubble in Syria. The discovery was made in the city of Maarat al-Numan in Syria's Idlib province in May. (See the video at the top of this article.) The complex dates back over 1,500 years. The site was found beneath an abandoned house that had been destroyed years earlier. Pictures show the Christian tomb complex with crosses, ancient graves and a variety of bones and fragments. Hassan al-Ismail, director of antiquities in Idlib, said that the province is one of the most historic in Syria. "Based on the presence of the cross and the pottery and glass pieces that were found, this tomb dates back to the Byzantine era," he said. The official added that Idlib "has a third of the monuments of Syria, containing 800 archaeological sites in addition to an ancient city." "In the old days, a lot of foreign tourists used to come to Maarat just to see the ruins." Unfortunately, archaeologists only uncovered the tombs under tragic circumstances, as the houses were destroyed during the 14-year-long Syrian civil war. In 2020, former Syrian President Bashar Assad seized the area from opposition control, destroying and looting houses in the process. Despite the dark circumstances, the situation led to a discovery that sheds more light on Byzantine-era Syria. Ghiath Sheikh Diab, a resident of Maarat al-Numan, told the Associated Press he hopes that President Ahmed al-Sharaa's government plans to fairly compensate the property owners of the site. Another local named Abed said he believes the discovery is an opportunity to boost tourism in the city, which is around 50 miles south of Aleppo. "In the old days, a lot of foreign tourists used to come to Maarat just to see the ruins," Jaafar, who came to see the tombs with his son, told the Associated Press. He added, "We need to take care of the antiquities and restore them and return them to the way they were before … and this will help to bring back the tourism and the economy." In the 4th century AD, the Byzantine Empire emerged as a successor to the Roman Empire, establishing its capital in Constantinople. Many finds from the era are still turning up across Europe and the Middle East. A 1,600-year-old Byzantine-era mosaic from a Christian monastery was recently put on public display in Israel for the first time. A mysterious 1,500-year-old bucket found at one of England's most historic sites was recently found to be of Byzantine origin, having been manufactured in Antioch. The Associated Press contributed reporting.
The Independent
10-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
1,500-year-old Byzantine tomb complex discovered under Syrian war ruins
A construction worker has unearthed a 1,500-year-old Byzantine tomb complex in the war-torn province of Idlib, northern Syria. The discovery occurred in Maarat al-Numan, a town of strategic importance between Aleppo and Damascus, which saw intense conflict during the Syrian civil war. The area, once a rebel stronghold, was reclaimed by former president Bashar al-Assad 's forces in 2020, leaving many homes looted and demolished. As residents return to rebuild following the overthrow of Mr al-Assad in 2024, the chance discovery of stone openings led to the unearthing of ancient graves. Local authorities were promptly alerted, and a team of specialists has been dispatched to inspect and secure the site. Aboveground, it is a residential neighbourhood with rows of cinder-block buildings, many of them damaged in the war. Next to one of those buildings, a pit leads down to the openings of two burial chambers, each containing six stone tombs. The sign of the cross is etched into the top of one stone column. 'Based on the presence of the cross and the pottery and glass pieces that were found, this tomb dates back to the Byzantine era,' said Hassan al-Ismail, director of antiquities in Idlib. He noted that the discovery adds to an already rich collection of archeological sites in the area. Idlib "has a third of the monuments of Syria, containing 800 archaeological sites in addition to an ancient city', Mr al-Ismail said. The Byzantine Empire, which began in the 4th century AD, was a continuation of the Roman empire with its capital in Constantinople – today's Istanbul – and Christianity as its official religion. Abandoned Byzantine-era settlements called Dead Cities stretch across rocky hills and plains in northwest Syria, their weathered limestone ruins featuring remnants of stone houses, basilicas, tombs and colonnaded streets. In the past, the owners of sites where archeological ruins were found sometimes covered them up, fearful that their property would be seized to preserve the ruins, said Ghiath Sheikh Diab, a resident of Maarat al-Numan who witnessed the moment when the tomb complex was uncovered. He said he hoped the new government will fairly compensate property owners in such cases and provide assistance to the displaced people who have returned to the area to find their homes destroyed. The years of war led to significant damage to Syria's archeological sites, not only from bombing but from looting and unauthorised digging. Some see in the ruins a sign of hope for economic renewal. Another local resident, Abed Jaafar, came with his son to explore the newly discovered tombs and take pictures. 'In the old days, a lot of foreign tourists used to come to Maarat just to see the ruins,' he said. 'We need to take care of the antiquities and restore them and return them to the way they were before … and this will help to bring back the tourism and the economy.'
ABC News
09-06-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Syrian contractor discovers underground Byzantine tomb complex beneath rubble
The remains of an ancient underground Byzantine tomb complex, believed to be more than 1,500 years old, have been unearthed in northern Syria. A contractor was digging beneath the rubble of a destroyed house in the town of Maarat al-Numan in May when he made the startling find. Residents alerted the directorate of antiquities, which dispatched a specialised team to inspect and secure the site. They discovered a pit next to one of the town's cinder-block buildings, leading to the openings of two burial chambers. Each contained six stone tombs, with the sign of the cross etched into the top of one stone column. "Based on the presence of the cross and the pottery and glass pieces that were found, this tomb dates back to the Byzantine era," director of antiquities in the town's Idlib province, Hassan al-Ismail, said. He said the discovery adds to an already rich collection of archaeological sites in the area. "[Idlib] has a third of the monuments of Syria, containing 800 archaeological sites in addition to an ancient city," he said. The Byzantine Empire began in the 4th century AD and was a continuation of the Roman Empire, with Christianity as its official religion. Abandoned Byzantine-era settlements — called Dead Cities — stretch across rocky hills and plains in north-west Syria. Their weathered limestone ruins feature remnants of stone houses, basilicas, tombs and colonnaded streets. The town of Maarat al-Numan, where this latest archaeological site was unearthed, lies between the cities of Aleppo and Damascus. The community became a touchpoint in the nearly 14-year Syrian civil war that ended with the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad in December. Mr Assad's forces seized the area back from opposition control in 2020. Houses were looted and demolished, with aerial images of the area showing many houses are still standing but with roofs torn off. Residents are now beginning to return and rebuild. Ghiath Sheikh Diab, a resident of Maarat al-Numan, said past owners of sites where archaeological ruins were found sometimes covered them up, fearful their property would be seized to preserve the ruins. He said he hoped the new government would fairly compensate property owners in such cases and provide assistance to the displaced people who have returned to the area to find their homes destroyed. The years of war led to significant damage to Syria's archaeological sites, not only from bombing but from looting and unauthorised digging. Some see in the ruins a sign of hope for economic renewal. Abed Jaafar, another resident, said in the "old days", many foreign tourists travelled to see the ruins. "We need to take care of the antiquities and restore them and return them to the way they were before," he said. "This will help to bring back the tourism and the economy." ABC/AP
The Independent
09-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Construction worker makes chance discovery of 1,500-year-old tomb complex
A construction worker has unearthed a 1,500-year-old Byzantine tomb complex in the war-torn province of Idlib, northern Syria. The discovery occurred in Maarat al-Numan, a town of strategic importance between Aleppo and Damascus, which saw intense conflict during the Syrian civil war. The area, once a rebel stronghold, was reclaimed by former president Bashar al-Assad 's forces in 2020, leaving many homes looted and demolished. As residents return to rebuild following the overthrow of Mr al-Assad in 2024, the chance discovery of stone openings led to the unearthing of ancient graves. Local authorities were promptly alerted, and a team of specialists has been dispatched to inspect and secure the site. Aboveground, it is a residential neighbourhood with rows of cinder-block buildings, many of them damaged in the war. Next to one of those buildings, a pit leads down to the openings of two burial chambers, each containing six stone tombs. The sign of the cross is etched into the top of one stone column. 'Based on the presence of the cross and the pottery and glass pieces that were found, this tomb dates back to the Byzantine era,' said Hassan al-Ismail, director of antiquities in Idlib. He noted that the discovery adds to an already rich collection of archeological sites in the area. Idlib "has a third of the monuments of Syria, containing 800 archaeological sites in addition to an ancient city', Mr al-Ismail said. The Byzantine Empire, which began in the 4th century AD, was a continuation of the Roman empire with its capital in Constantinople – today's Istanbul – and Christianity as its official religion. Abandoned Byzantine-era settlements called Dead Cities stretch across rocky hills and plains in northwest Syria, their weathered limestone ruins featuring remnants of stone houses, basilicas, tombs and colonnaded streets. In the past, the owners of sites where archeological ruins were found sometimes covered them up, fearful that their property would be seized to preserve the ruins, said Ghiath Sheikh Diab, a resident of Maarat al-Numan who witnessed the moment when the tomb complex was uncovered. He said he hoped the new government will fairly compensate property owners in such cases and provide assistance to the displaced people who have returned to the area to find their homes destroyed. The years of war led to significant damage to Syria's archeological sites, not only from bombing but from looting and unauthorised digging. Some see in the ruins a sign of hope for economic renewal. Another local resident, Abed Jaafar, came with his son to explore the newly discovered tombs and take pictures. 'In the old days, a lot of foreign tourists used to come to Maarat just to see the ruins,' he said. 'We need to take care of the antiquities and restore them and return them to the way they were before … and this will help to bring back the tourism and the economy.'
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Syrian contractor discovers ancient Byzantine tomb complex during construction
A Syrian contractor made a historic discovery when clearing the rubble of a destroyed home, stumbling upon remains of an underground Byzantine tomb complex. Believed to be more than 1,500 years old, the ruins were found in Maarat al-Numan in Idlib province, located on the route between the cities of Aleppo and Damascus. Residents there have been rebuilding their communities after the collapse of Bashar al Assad's regime last December. After the contractor found stone openings during a reconstruction project, locals contacted the authorities, who then dispatched a specialised team to inspect and secure the site. Images of the complex show that a pit next to a damaged building leads down to the openings of two burial chambers, each containing six stone tombs, with the sign of the cross etched into the top of one stone column. Hassan al Ismail, director of antiquities in Idlib, said that "based on the presence of the cross and the pottery and glass pieces that were found, this tomb dates back to the Byzantine era". Idlib "has a third of the monuments of Syria, containing 800 archaeological sites in addition to an ancient city", he said. The Byzantine Empire began in the 4th century AD, and was a continuation of the Roman Empire with its capital in Constantinople - now Istanbul in Turkey - and Christianity as its official religion. Ghiath Sheikh Diab, a resident who witnessed the moment when the complex was uncovered, told the Associated Press that under Assad, people in Syria who found archaeological ruins would cover them up over fears their properties would be seized under Assad. Read more from Sky News: Another local, Abed Jaafar, said: "In the old days, a lot of foreign tourists used to come to Maarat just to see the ruins. "We need to take care of the antiquities and restore them and return them to the way they were before... and this will help to bring back the tourism and the economy."
