Damascus National Museum

We spent more time at the Damascus National Museum as E wants to see the ancient objects and understand the history of museums in the non-Western world better.* From the research notebook:

Exhibition standards here are very different from those in the United States: recreations are common (reconstructions, a fake finger with an ancient ring), some cases need updating (a seal upside down, only some objects labeled), and there are indications that the museum needs further funding (light bulbs burned out, a fountain not working, etc).

Access to collections can be limited: a room closed for restoration or chained off, guards watch over the room with the synagogue painting from Dura Europos closely and tell you when to leave, and no photography is allowed. (Having said this, guards told us to go up the stairs to the three floors above and let us in a room closed for restoration.) Access to information is also limited as any given object could have: no label, a label in French and English, or a label in French. I suspect that the French have had a heavy hand in the construction and organization of this museum, particularly the sections on the ancient art and artifacts. For example, the second floor has a new-ish exhibit on the pioneers of Syrian archaeology. The exhibit is heavily based on texts, biographies, and old photographs, with a few of the most important objects found in Syria tucked away in back corners (the statue pair from Qatna and the Ishtar stela - over 4 feet high). Everything is in French.

Ugarit is a highlight sight in Syria for many with an interest in ancient history - and the objects from Ugarit have a prominent place in the National Museum. The Ugarit room is the first room on the right side (upon entry) of the museum and there appear to have been past exhibits devoted to this site. Interestingly, visitors access rooms with objects from Mari and Ebla (which are both older than Ugarit) by going through the Ugarit collection. In other words, there is no chronological organization of the museum based upon history. I have yet to check this out carefully, but the ancient objects appear to be on the same side as the later Islamic objects, while the other end of the museum houses the collections from Palmyra, Dura Europos, and Byzantine periods. One final note - the smallest Ugaritic tablet on display (2'' x 1'') with only two lines of text with the Ugaritic alphabet is proudly displayed and the Ugaritic alphabet is heralded as the ancestor for all modern alphabets. While this claim is basically true, the interest in this piece appears to derive from its discovery in the land that is now Syria, giving the modern state some claim on cultural developments both eastern and western. Very poetic, and possibly polemic. Still trying to decide.

*Highly recommend a visit to the museum. In spite of critiques above, access to so many objects and the quiet, relaxed atmosphere of the museum are hard to beat. Absolutely amazing place, will be excited to follow its development.