France returns 23 Syrian treasures after 15 years as Macron visits Damascus

France returned 23 Syrian artifacts after about 15 years, timed with President Macron’s landmark visit to Damascus — the first major Western leader since Assad’s ouster.
The items include Roman, Byzantine and Islamic-era pieces, notably a colorful mosaic from the Umayyad Mosque; the collection spans millennia of Syrian history.
Officials called the return a symbolic restart of cultural cooperation that could encourage further repatriation of looted Syrian heritage.