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Byzantine Tomb Complex Unearthed During Reconstruction in Maarat al-Numan

A specialized team has secured the site to begin preservation efforts under archaeological supervision.

A guard inspects an engraved stone, originally found at a Byzantine underground tomb complex believed to be over 1,500 years old and uncovered by a contractor during the reconstruction of a war-damaged house and brought to a museum yard in Maarat al-Numan, Syria, Friday, May 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Hassan Ismail of the Idlib Museum takes notes at a Byzantine underground tomb complex, believed to be over 1,500 years old, uncovered by a contractor during reconstruction of a war-damaged house in Maarat al-Numan, Idlib suburb, Syria, on Friday, May 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
A boy walks out of a pit after exploring the tombs from a Byzantine underground complex, believed to be over 1,500 years old, uncovered by a contractor during the reconstruction of a war-damaged house in Maarat al-Numan, Idlib suburb, Syria, Friday, May 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Residents drive past the war-damaged ancient market of Maarat al-Numan, near the site where a Byzantine underground tomb complex, believed to be over 1,500 years old, was uncovered by a contractor during the reconstruction of a war-damaged house, in Maarat al-Numan, Idlib suburb, Syria, on Friday, May 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)

Overview

  • A contractor uncovered the underground tomb complex beneath rubble in the war-damaged neighborhood of Maarat al-Numan during May reconstruction work.
  • Archaeologists identified two burial chambers each containing six stone tombs marked with Christian crosses and dated them to the Byzantine era through pottery and glass fragments.
  • Hassan al-Ismail, director of antiquities in Idlib, confirmed the 1,500-year-old site and alerted the Directorate of Antiquities, which dispatched specialists to inspect and protect the ruins.
  • Idlib province is home to one-third of Syria’s monuments and roughly 800 archaeological sites, highlighting the region’s rich cultural heritage.
  • Local residents anticipate that restoring the newly discovered complex will attract tourists and help revive the local economy after years of conflict damage.