President al-Assad awards the Syrian Order of Merit of the Excellent Class to Italian archaeologist Paolo Mattier, discoverer of Ebla

Damascus-SANA

Dr. Najah Al-Attar, Vice President of the Syrian Arab Republic, awarded archaeologist Dr. Paolo Mattier the Syrian Order of Merit of the Excellent Class awarded by President Bashar Al-Assad to Dr. Mattier, in recognition of his important achievements in the field of archaeological excavation in the Kingdom of Ebla throughout 59 years of archaeological and research work, where he devoted a large part of his life to working for the benefit of Syrian antiquities, and had a major role in introducing European peoples to Syrian antiquities and identity and its importance.

The tradition of the Syrian Order of Merit of the Excellent Class by Dr. Paolo Mattier came during the second day of the international conference "The Latest Results of Syrian Archaeological Research and the Repercussions of the Earthquake", held by the Ministry of Culture - Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums, in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism, at the National Museum in Damascus, with the participation of a group of Syrian and foreign researchers from Italy, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Germany.

Dr. Al-Attar: Dr. Mattier made us a big scientific surprise that reverberated the world

Dr. Najah Al-Attar said in a speech during the ceremony of imitating the medal at the National Museum in Damascus: "Our meeting today is Eid Moodat and we appreciate the beautiful effectiveness of your effectiveness in the sites of antiquities, and what you have provided and descend from our hearts is the highest status, and you have worked silently and from silence you have drawn stone and returned to existence a life forgotten, and you were keepers of the Syrian monuments and monuments, evidence of civilizations that our country was dumped for, and you tried to excavate them, from the ground, and among the ruins are historical evidence and values remaining and scientific and aesthetic symbols and creative."

Dr. Al-Attar continued: "We and you have believed that civilization is a treasure of knowledge and that it is what gives our country what in our time, and even in the ages that preceded us, its historical value, its cultural heritage and its scientific glory, which deals with all the data of thought and the human mind, and we in Syria believe that the most honorable qualities of a person and called them to nobility is to admit to the other the beauty of his act, and this is not only from our Arab traditions, but also from our sense of duty."

Dr. Al-Attar added: "We and you in Italy are Mediterranean people who bring us together from the blue of the Mediterranean a blue intellectual scarf, some of it is tender and some of it is taking, and we have all taken in civilizational and cultural exchange and we have given, and in history, evidence of this creative exchange, so today I have to admit the truth from the point of view of objectivity that the Kingdom of Ebla in our Syrian land, flying in a miracle and floating as imagination on a sea of civilizations most ancient in time immemorial, has been discovered by hard work and strenuous effort and put in our hands the keys to the world The great Italian Dr. Paolo Mattier, whose fame resounded on four sides of the earth."

She explained that it was wonderful to discover also through the number, which numbered more than seventeen thousand figures, that the society of Ebla was really a secular society, dominated by a kind of social justice unknown in other kingdoms discovered, and it was important to know that the Italian mission headed by him was also striving in its quest to discover a contemporary archive of the Babylonian Empire during the reign of Hammurabi, especially after it discovered in the huge archive of Ebla a group of important antiquities belonging to that era.

Dr. Al-Attar said: "Dr. Mattier made us a great scientific surprise that resonated with the world by discovering an ancient civilization that is equal to the civilization of the Nile Valley and parallel to the civilization of Mesopotamia, both in ancient times and in the position it occupies before written history, so that it caused a stir in the scientific community and changes in academic books and made scholars and researchers reconsider things that were taken for granted, and are now in the latest developments and provided us with new information that will have a very valuable and dangerous impact on our endeavor. We can say: Our hills in all parts of our country are archaeological deposits in their hollow monitored treasures that are still waiting to be unmonitored, and the mystery is revealed and what was in the depths of the world comes to light."

Dr. Al-Attar indicated that President Al-Assad awarded the Syrian Order of Merit of the Excellent Class to Dr. Paolo Mattier in honor of his discoveries, and in appreciation of the message he carried in his archaeological science and in what he achieved in his sincere cooperation with Syria in all its circumstances.

Minister of Culture: Dr. Matier published approximately 185 scientific research papers on Syria, its civilization and archaeological sites

For her part, the Minister of Culture, Dr. Labana Mushouh, said: "Today we honor a rich scientific journey that embodies the sincerity of belonging and leaves an imprint that is not erased by days and is not blown away by the winds of oblivion, it is the march of the life of the great scientist and role model Professor Professor Paolo Mattier."

The Minister of Culture explained that Dr. Mattier spent about 40 years of his life excavating the antiquities of Ebla, and remained the head of the Italian archaeological mission in Tell Mardikh and its director from 1963 until 2011, when work on the site stopped due to the war on Syria, and he also established an archaeological mission in Tel Ephes and another in Tell Toukan.

She indicated that his forced absence from Syria hurt him, as it is his second home, as he always repeated, so he did not hesitate to return to it, despite all the obstacles and pressures until 2022, when he came to her as a scientific director of a new Italian mission and yesterday at the opening of the conference, explaining that he published between 1963 and 2019 approximately 185 scientific research papers on Syria, its civilization and archaeological sites, and wrote 23 books that are considered one of the most important scientific references on ancient Syrian civilizations, especially on the archaeological site of Ebla.

Dr. Mushouh pointed out that he founded a number of scientific journals specialized in studies on Ebla and a center for the Ebla archive and organized dozens of exhibitions on Ebla, Mary and Ugarit, indicating that he was subjected to great pressure, as he was accused of being a "toy in the hands of Syrians" and a team of influential Italian professors tried to stop funding the archaeological mission to Ebla, and in 2016 he visited Syria with members of his team, and they were attacked, the publication of their books was stopped, and a petition was signed against them, and the matter was repeated when an Italian team working under his supervision sent a three-dimensional model of an engraving Palmyra was destroyed by the terrorist organization (ISIS) to be displayed in the National Museum in Damascus, and was attacked in 2019 for participating in activities in the Directorate of Antiquities in Damascus.

She concluded by saying: "Matier remained faithful to Syria during the war as before, and loved it in its hardship and pleasure, and stood by it in its thick and thin, and today she reciprocates his love with love and loyalty with loyalty."

Archaeologist Paolo Mattier: I am grateful for receiving the highest merit degree in Syria

In his speech, Dr. Paolo Mattier expressed his gratitude for receiving the highest degree of merit for his work as an archaeologist, dedicating his work to the discovery of the oldest monuments and civilizations, adding: "Ebla is a very important civilization, and it was the most important in the history of the ancient East and the Middle Ages, and the discovery of Ebla is not appreciated from its local or regional perspective, its importance dates back to the year 23 BC, and this is important for all history due to the emergence of a new language and culture after the discovery of the Ebla Palace, and thus Syria strengthened its position and position to become a The same civilization of the Nile and Mesopotamia.

Dr. Mattier added: "This discovery was appreciated by the late President Hafez al-Assad, who was very interested in our work and continued interest by President Bashar al-Assad, who was represented by the generosity of First Lady Asma al-Assad to visit the site, and the Italian University of Spienza presented an honorary doctorate to Mrs. Asma al-Assad for her participation and interest in the Syrian cultural heritage."

Director of Antiquities and Museums: Honoring Dr. Matier is a tribute to the generation of pioneers and pioneers in revealing our identity and introducing our civilization

The Director General of the Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums, Mohammed Nazir Al-Awad, said: "Dr. Matier illuminated what was under the soil to see all the peoples of the world, who knew thanks to him the history and civilization of Syria and its unique position in the heart of human civilization and had his own language to introduce the civilization of Ebla and resided in it as one of its kings and brought it back to life and exchanged love and loyalty with Ebla, and revealed to him its secrets and components and his queen tools brought it to the world."

He continued: "Honoring Dr. Matthier is a tribute to the generation of pioneers and pioneers in revealing our identity and introducing our civilization, and it is a tribute to those who believed in Syria's civilization and cultural heritage, and remained loyal and their words sharpened our resolve in the battle to defend our identity and heritage."

Who is Prof. Paolo Mattier?

Archaeologist born in 1940 (83 years old) in Rome, Italy.

He is currently Professor Emeritus and Senior Professor of Archaeology and History of Ancient Near Eastern Art at the University of Rome Spenceza, receiving his PhD from the same university.

- Honorary doctorate from the Universities of Madrid and Copenhagen.

- Holds membership in a large number of international committees related to culture and heritage, in addition to membership in many international committees of international journals.

He received several awards and in 1995 he was awarded the Chevalier of the Order of Merit, the highest honor awarded to Italians who have made great achievements worthy of recognition, and awarded by the President of the Italian Republic.

His association with Syria.

He discovered the city of Ebla in 1964, where he headed an Italian expedition to excavate the site of Tell Mardikh near the town of Saraqeb in Idlib Governorate, and he is the founder of the Italian archaeological mission in Tell Mardikh - Ebla, and currently serves as the scientific director of the mission.

He met the founding leader Hafez al-Assad in 1984, organized a number of international scientific seminars on the city of Ebla, and organized a number of important exhibitions in Damascus (university - Assad Library - National Museum) University of Aleppo, Ebla Museum in Idlib, Cultural Center in Hama, Latakia University

The last visit to Syria was in 2016 to attend a conference at the National Museum, and in 2019 to visit the Aleppo Museum.

- Received the Syrian Order of Merit - First and Second Class by the President of the Syrian Arab Republic in 1978-1986.

And from his participation in the Arab world.

He carried out research and studies in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria, supervised the Italian archaeological mission in Jordan in Wadi Yabis and Tel Rahil, and participated in the management of the joint Italian-Jordanian mission to the Universities of Italy and Yarmouk.

The joint Italian-Palestinian archaeological mission in Jordan was supervised by the city of Jericho - Tell Al-Sultan.

The ceremony of honoring the Syrian Order of Merit to archaeologist Dr. Paolo Mattier was attended by Mansour Azzam, Minister of Presidential Affairs, Dr. Lubana Mushouh, Minister of Culture, Mohammed Rami Martini, Minister of Tourism, a number of archaeologists and researchers at the international conference, a number of cultural and community figures and media representatives.

Rasha Mahfoud