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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.
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Residents drive past the war-damaged ancient market of Maarat al-Numan, near the site where a Byzantine underground tomb complex was discovered (AP)
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.
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A guard inspects an engraved stone in the tomb complex (AP)
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.
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A boy walks out of a pit after exploring the tombs from a Byzantine underground complex. (AP Photo/Omar Albam) (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
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.”