Norwegian initiative to combat the looting of Syria’s cultural heritage

The illicit trade with antiquities from Syria is among the less well-understood but increasingly important sources of income for the warring parties in Syria. Bulgaria and the Balkans are a major route for trafficking of Syrian cultural heritage objects and many refugees pay for being smuggled with illicitly trade artefact from conflict-struck areas in Syria. Joint efforts from the global community are essential for saving cultural heritage and curbing the looting and illicit sale for antiquities, regardless of their origin.

The conference is organized by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Sofia and the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research under the patronage of UNESCO and in partnership with the Bulgarian Ministry of Culture, the Bulgarian Ministry of Interior, the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus and the non-governmental organization “Walk of Truth” (the Netherlands).

See attached programme for further details. For more information, please contact the Norwegian Embassy in Sofia: emb.sofia@mfa.no.  

• Programme - Conference “Fighting the looting of Syria’s cultural heritage”

Related information:

• Joint appeal by the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Børge Brende and Minister of Culture Torhild Widvey: “Destruction of cultural heritage in Iraq and Syria – measures to halt the illicit trafficking of cultural objects”  
• Director-General of UNESCO Irina Bokova firmly condemns the destruction of Palmyra's ancient temple of Baalshamin, Syria