PRAGUE: Twenty artefacts repaired by Czech art restorers after being damaged during the civil war in Syria are on display at Prague’s National Museum before their return back home next month.
The objects include three limestone funerary portraits from the UNESCO-listed ancient site of Palmyra, which were damaged by Daesh group militants who took the city by force in 2015.
“Things get damaged by fighting, on purpose for ideological reasons, or by local people looking for something to sell,” National Museum director Michal Lukes told AFP.
“These portraits were all smashed with metal hammers,” he added at the “Restored Face” exhibition.
Syrian government forces retook control of Palmyra in 2017 after the city had served as a stage for public executions, with many of its famed landmarks destroyed by the Daesh group.
Inspired by previous cooperation with Sudan and Afghanistan, the National Museum brought the twenty artefacts from Syria in 2022 and its team of six restorers took a year to repair them.
“There are metal, bronze and iron objects and the funerary portraits from Palmyra,” said Lukes.
The exhibits include a gold-coated pin from 1600-1200 BC, bronze razors and a knife, as well as bronze and copper statuettes of ancient gods.
Prague’s National Museum has been cooperating with Syria’s Directorate General for Antiquities and Museums since 2017.
“We started to help them by supplying material which was indispensable for them to maintain, conserve, transport and treat artefacts mainly from war zones,” said Lukes.
The cooperation led to the creation of a joint archaeological team working near the western Syrian city of Latakia.
After the month-long exhibition, the artefacts will return to Syria by the end of May, Lukes said.
“I hope the situation in Syria has calmed down enough so that they won’t be damaged again,” he told AFP.
“The exhibition is a memento not only of Syria, but of all countries in the world where a war is raging and monuments are being damaged,” Lukes added.
Prague to send repaired art damaged by Daesh home to Syria
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Prague to send repaired art damaged by Daesh home to Syria
- Syrian government forces retook control of Palmyra in 2017 after the city had served as a stage for public executions, with many of its famed landmarks destroyed by Daesh
- Inspired by previous cooperation with Sudan and Afghanistan, the museum brought the artefacts from Syria in 2022 and its team of six restorers took a year to repair them
At Jazan festival, Suad Al-Asiri paints memory, land and leadership
- Local artist channels personal hardship into works that reflect Jazan’s identity, heritage
- Jazan: A Nation and a Prince, places region at the heart of a composition featuring Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz and Prince Nasser bin Mohammed bin Abdullah bin Jalawi
RIYADH: At the Ahad Al-Masarihah pavilion at Jazan Festival 2026, Suad Al-Asiri’s paintings blend memory, place and personal history, offering visual narratives shaped by beauty and hardship.
A novelist and visual artist, Al-Asiri has long used art as a storytelling tool. After a near-fatal car accident in March 2024, her work took on a new urgency. Bedridden for 11 months, cut off from the public world for more than a year, she describes that period as one of the most painful in her life — yet also transformative.
“First of all, praise be to God for granting me life, as the accident was extremely severe,” she said. “By God’s grace, I was given a new life. All my thinking after the accident was about becoming an inspiration to others — about enduring pain and obstacles, and still leaving an impact.”
Her return to public life came in 2025, when she participated in National Day celebrations with the ministry of interior. By the time she arrived at Jazan Festival, she was ready to channel that experience into her art.
The centerpiece of her display, “Jazan: A Nation and a Prince,” places the region at the heart of a composition featuring Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz and Prince Nasser bin Mohammed bin Abdullah bin Jalawi, governor and deputy governor of Jazan respectively.
Visitors linger over the details: the painting incorporates coffee beans, sesame and khudair — materials drawn from local products.
“I wanted people to recognize these products immediately,” she said. “They are part of Jazan’s daily life, and using them makes the work more tangible, more connected to everyday experience.”
The painting sparks conversation. Visitors discuss leadership, identity, and the intimate relationship between people and their environment.
Beyond the central piece, Al-Asiri presents individual portraits of the two princes, expanding the dialogue into a broader exploration of heritage and memory.
Her journey into art is tied to her life as a storyteller. Early experiments with charcoal and pencil evolved into abstract art, drawn by its expressive freedom.
From there, she explored realism, surrealism, and eventually modern art, particularly pop art, which has earned her wide recognition in artistic circles. Her novels and media work complement her visual practice, earning her the title “the comprehensive artist” from the governor.
Yet what stands out most in this exhibition is how Al-Asiri’s personal resilience flows through each piece. Her experience of surviving a devastating accident, enduring months of immobility, and returning to the public eye informs every brushstroke.
Visitors sense not just her artistic skill, but her determination to turn life’s hardships into inspiration for others.
Walking through the pavilion, one can see it in the way she blends heritage symbols, southern landscapes, and scenes of daily life.
Each painting becomes both a document and a dialogue — a celebration of Jazan’s culture, a reflection on identity, and a testament to the power of human perseverance.
At Jazan Festival 2026, Suad Al-Asiri’s art is a quiet, persistent inspiration for anyone who pauses long enough to listen.
