What to know about 1,500-year-old Byzantine tomb uncovered in Syria A contractor found a tomb complex dating back to the Byzantine Empire in Syria's Idlib province, just as many residents have started returning to their homes following the fall of Assad. Syria
Egypt, Greece pledge to protect Mount Sinai monastery after court ruling: What to know Greece and Egypt have launched a diplomatic effort to reaffirm the status of Saint Catherine’s Monastery, one of the most revered monasteries in Christianity. Egypt
Khartoum accuses RSF of looting and destroying Sudan's heritage: What to know The Sudanese government accused the Rapid Support Forces of looting and destroying cultural heritage sites, including the Sudan National Museum, during their occupation of Khartoum, calling the actions war crimes and pledging to work with UNESCO and Interpol to recover stolen artifacts. Sudan
Egypt celebrates first royal tomb discovery since 1922: What we know The 3,500-year-old tomb belongs to King Thutmose II, who ruled Egypt during its 18th dynasty. Egypt
Iraq establishes new security force to protect its archaeological wealth Iraq is seeking to preserve what’s left of its antiquities through the establishment of a special security force to protect one of its richest provinces in terms of archaeological sites. Iraq
Turkish dam project would wipe out ancient town A Turkish government dam project is threatening to flood a 12,000-year-old ancient settlement, bringing Turkey to the verge of losing traces of at least 10 civilizations. Turkey
Egypt acts to preserve Jewish heritage The Ministry of Antiquities has begun preservation and renovation of Eliyahu Hanavi in Alexandria, one of the biggest synagogues in the Middle East. Egypt
Tulkarm aims to renovate century-old Ottoman train tunnel The Ottoman Empire’s Hejaz Railway, initially seen as Sultan Abdulhamid's folly, played a key role in World War I and later in Palestine's history. Palestine
Iraq steps up efforts to restore lost heritage at ancient Nimrud After the defeat of the Islamic State in Mosul, a campaign to reconstruct the ancient city of Nimrud with the cooperation of UNESCO has begun. Iraq
Iraq eager to get back antiquities smuggled to US Iraq is diligently working to recover relics from the United States that were looted from Iraqi archaeological sites. Iraq
450-year-old home restored in traditional style in Gaza A Gaza resident has turned his centuries-old house into a Damascene-type home with an inner courtyard, using old cut stones, stained glass and iron. Palestine
Egypt takes stock of neglected antiquities Though its financial resources are limited, Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities is working to finally document the countless antiquities stored for decades in warehouses across the country. Egypt
Iraq accelerates work on its virtual national museum The Virtual Museum of Iraq, which has been a work in progress since 2005, aims to bring Iraqi heritage and archaeological artifacts online by the end of 2018. Iraq
Pioneering program makes aerial survey of Iraqi antiquities Iraq, in cooperation with UNESCO, has conducted a comprehensive aerial survey of archaeological sites in Ninevah province to prepare for repairing and maintaining the sites. Countries
Egypt registers its Jewish artifacts Egyptian authorities have begun a process to register and protect Jewish cemeteries and synagogues after decades of neglecting them. Culture & Society
Colossus discovery highlights difficulties of preserving Egypt’s heritage Without the proper funds and equipment to excavate its archaeological discoveries, Egypt risks losing monumental finds to exploitation. Egypt
