Forced to Close by Civil War, the National Museum of Damascus Re-Opens Its Doors

In 2012, the National Museum of Damascus packed up thousands of precious artifacts and ferreted them away to secret locations, where they would be safe from the fallout of Syria’s brutal civil war. Now, more than seven years since the conflict began, the violence is starting to subside. And on Sunday, as the Agence France-Presse reports, parts of the National Museum reopened to the public, displaying a rich collection of artifacts long hidden from sight.

Among the relics on view are 2nd-century murals, Greek statues and an elaborate tomb transported from the ancient city of Palmyra, which suffered devastation at the hands of ISIS militants. The recently restored “Lion of al-Lat,” a stone sculpture that stood sentry at the Palmyra museum before ISIS wrought havoc upon it, has been installed in the Damascus museum’s gardens.

Some parts of the museum remained closed on Sunday, but officials hope to open them in the near future.