Byzantine Tomb Discovered in Maarat al-Numan

A contractor in Syria — Maarat al-Numan, Syria, uncovered an underground Byzantine tomb complex, believed to be over 1,500 years old, while clearing rubble from a destroyed house. The discovery, made in Syria — Idlib Governorate, has been inspected and secured by a specialized team from the directorate of antiquities, led by Hassan al-Ismail. The site, featuring two burial chambers with six stone tombs each and a sign of the cross, dates back to the Byzantine era. Residents, including Ghiath Sheikh Diab and Abed Jaafar, hope this archaeological find will help bring back tourism and economic renewal to the war-torn area, which was a touchpoint in the Syrian civil war that ended with the fall of Bashar al-Assad.