A contractor stumbles upon a Byzantine tomb complex under a destroyed Syrian house
MARAAT AL-NUMAN, Syria — A contractor digging into the earth where the rubble of a destroyed house had been cleared away in northern Syria stumbled across a surprise: the remains of an underground Byzantine tomb complex believed to be more than 1,500 years old.
The discovery emerged last month in the town of Maarat al-Numan in Idlib province, which is strategically located on the route between the cities of Aleppo and Damascus. The community became a touchpoint in the nearly 14-year Syrian civil war that ended with the fall of former President Bashar Assad in a lightning rebel offensive in December.
Assad's forces seized the area back from opposition control in 2020. Houses were looted and demolished. Aerial images of the area show many houses still standing but without roofs.
Now residents are beginning to return and rebuild. In the course of a reconstruction project, stone openings were uncovered indicating the presence of ancient graves. Residents notified the directorate of antiquities, which dispatched a specialized team to inspect and secure the site.
Aboveground, it's a residential neighborhood with rows of cinder-block buildings, many of them damaged in the war. Next to one of those buildings, a pit leads down to the openings of two burial chambers, each containing six stone tombs. The sign of the cross is etched into the top of one stone column.
'Based on the presence of the cross and the pottery and glass pieces that were found, this tomb dates back to the Byzantine era,' said Hassan al-Ismail, director of antiquities in Idlib. He noted that the discovery adds to an already rich collection of archeological sites in the area.
Idlib 'has a third of the monuments of Syria, containing 800 archaeological sites in addition to an ancient city,' al-Ismail said.
The Byzantine Empire, which began in the 4th century AD, was a continuation of the Roman empire with its capital in Constantinople — today's Istanbul — and Christianity as its official religion.
Abandoned Byzantine-era settlements called Dead Cities stretch across rocky hills and plains in northwest Syria, their weathered limestone ruins featuring remnants of stone houses, basilicas, tombs and colonnaded streets.
In the past, the owners of sites where archeological ruins were found sometimes covered them up, fearful that their property would be seized to preserve the ruins, said Ghiath Sheikh Diab, a resident of Maarat al-Numan who witnessed the moment when the tomb complex was uncovered.
He said he hoped the new government will fairly compensate property owners in such cases and provide assistance to the displaced people who have returned to the area to find their homes destroyed.
The years of war led to significant damage to Syria's archeological sites, not only from bombing but from looting and unauthorized digging.
Some see in the ruins a sign of hope for economic renewal.
Another local resident, Abed Jaafar, came with his son to explore the newly discovered tombs and take pictures.
'In the old days, a lot of foreign tourists used to come to Maarat just to see the ruins,' he said. 'We need to take care of the antiquities and restore them and return them to the way they were before … and this will help to bring back the tourism and the economy.'
Albam and Sewell write for the Associated Press. Sewell reported from Damascus, Syria.
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A contractor in Syria discovered an ancient underground Byzantine tomb complex believed to be 1,500 years old below a destroyed home. The grave site was found last month in the town of Maarat al-Numan — a key town between Aleppo and Damascus — in a house that was destroyed during the 14-year Syrian civil war that ended with former President Bashar Assad fleeing to Russia in December. Residents notified Syria's directorate of antiquities, which deployed experts to investigate and secure the site. Advertisement Above the burial site sits a residential neighborhood of cinder-block buildings that were largely damaged in the conflict. A pit next to one of the buildings leads down to the openings of two burial chambers, each containing six stone tombs. The sign of the cross is etched into the top of one stone column. 3 A guard inspects an engraved stone, originally found at a Byzantine underground tomb complex believed to be over 1,500 years old. AP Advertisement 3 A boy walks out of a pit after exploring the tombs from a Byzantine underground complex. AP 3 Hassan Ismail of the Idlib Museum examines bones from a Byzantine AP 'Based on the presence of the cross and the pottery and glass pieces that were found, this tomb dates back to the Byzantine era,' said Hassan al-Ismail, director of antiquities in Idlib. The region is home to 'a third of the monuments of Syria, containing 800 archaeological sites in addition to an ancient city,' al-Ismail said. Advertisement The Byzantine Empire, which dates to the 4th century, was a continuation of the vast Roman Empire with its capital in Constantinople — now Istanbul — with Christianity as its state religion. The empire fell in 1453 and was replaced by the Ottoman Empire. Abandoned Byzantine-era settlements known as 'Dead Cities' are scattered across Syria. In the past, the owners of sites where archeological ruins were found often hid them, fearing their property would be seized to preserve the ruins, according to Ghiath Sheikh Diab, a resident of Maarat al-Numan who witnessed the moment when the tomb complex was uncovered. Advertisement Some locals, however, hope that the ruins could spark tourism in the war-torn area. Abed Jaafar, who lives in the city, came with his son to explore the newly discovered tombs and take pictures. 'In the old days, a lot of foreign tourists used to come to Maarat just to see the ruins,' he said. 'We need to take care of the antiquities and restore them and return them to the way they were before … and this will help to bring back the tourism and the economy.' With Post Wires
Los Angeles Times
4 hours ago
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A contractor stumbles upon a Byzantine tomb complex under a destroyed Syrian house
MARAAT AL-NUMAN, Syria — A contractor digging into the earth where the rubble of a destroyed house had been cleared away in northern Syria stumbled across a surprise: the remains of an underground Byzantine tomb complex believed to be more than 1,500 years old. The discovery emerged last month in the town of Maarat al-Numan in Idlib province, which is strategically located on the route between the cities of Aleppo and Damascus. The community became a touchpoint in the nearly 14-year Syrian civil war that ended with the fall of former President Bashar Assad in a lightning rebel offensive in December. Assad's forces seized the area back from opposition control in 2020. Houses were looted and demolished. Aerial images of the area show many houses still standing but without roofs. Now residents are beginning to return and rebuild. In the course of a reconstruction project, stone openings were uncovered indicating the presence of ancient graves. Residents notified the directorate of antiquities, which dispatched a specialized team to inspect and secure the site. Aboveground, it's a residential neighborhood with rows of cinder-block buildings, many of them damaged in the war. Next to one of those buildings, a pit leads down to the openings of two burial chambers, each containing six stone tombs. The sign of the cross is etched into the top of one stone column. 'Based on the presence of the cross and the pottery and glass pieces that were found, this tomb dates back to the Byzantine era,' said Hassan al-Ismail, director of antiquities in Idlib. He noted that the discovery adds to an already rich collection of archeological sites in the area. Idlib 'has a third of the monuments of Syria, containing 800 archaeological sites in addition to an ancient city,' al-Ismail said. The Byzantine Empire, which began in the 4th century AD, was a continuation of the Roman empire with its capital in Constantinople — today's Istanbul — and Christianity as its official religion. Abandoned Byzantine-era settlements called Dead Cities stretch across rocky hills and plains in northwest Syria, their weathered limestone ruins featuring remnants of stone houses, basilicas, tombs and colonnaded streets. In the past, the owners of sites where archeological ruins were found sometimes covered them up, fearful that their property would be seized to preserve the ruins, said Ghiath Sheikh Diab, a resident of Maarat al-Numan who witnessed the moment when the tomb complex was uncovered. He said he hoped the new government will fairly compensate property owners in such cases and provide assistance to the displaced people who have returned to the area to find their homes destroyed. The years of war led to significant damage to Syria's archeological sites, not only from bombing but from looting and unauthorized digging. Some see in the ruins a sign of hope for economic renewal. Another local resident, Abed Jaafar, came with his son to explore the newly discovered tombs and take pictures. 'In the old days, a lot of foreign tourists used to come to Maarat just to see the ruins,' he said. 'We need to take care of the antiquities and restore them and return them to the way they were before … and this will help to bring back the tourism and the economy.' Albam and Sewell write for the Associated Press. Sewell reported from Damascus, Syria.
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Asylum and the Airport: Where Law Meets Reality The 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol form the foundation of global asylum law, obligating signatory countries not to return individuals to territories where their life or freedom would be threatened. Known as the principle of non-refoulement, it is a central principle of international human rights law. But at international airports, these protections can fall apart. Travellers arriving without valid visas or documentation—even those declaring an intent to seek asylum—are often detained in secure transit areas or immigration holding centers. In many cases, they are denied entry before ever setting foot on sovereign soil, creating a legal gray area. Case Study: The Detention of Edward Snowden In 2013, former NSA contractor Edward Snowden found himself stranded in the transit zone of Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport. After leaking classified documents about U.S. surveillance programs, Snowden attempted to seek asylum in multiple countries. Though he had applied for asylum, he had no valid passport. The U.S. had cancelled his travel document mid-flight. Trapped in legal limbo for over a month, Snowden's case demonstrated how state power and passport control can override humanitarian protections. It also spotlighted how modern airports can serve as detention facilities by another name. The Practice of 'Inadmissibility' Countries including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia commonly rely on inadmissibility determinations to prevent entry. In such cases, an arriving asylum seeker is denied access on the grounds of documentation failure, a criminal record, or security concerns—even before a refugee hearing can be held. In many of these jurisdictions, immigration officers have the authority to exercise discretion at the border. And while claimants can request a hearing or legal review, the process is often delayed or inaccessible from inside detention. Case Study: The Syrian Family in Malaysia In 2017, a Syrian family fleeing civil war arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, seeking asylum. With no valid entry visa, they were denied access and spent over seven months in the transit area, surviving on airline food and sleeping in terminal chairs. Despite Malaysia not being a signatory to the Refugee Convention, human rights groups intervened, and eventually, Canada agreed to resettle them. Their case raised urgent questions about moral obligations beyond legal treaties and the role of non-signatory states in humanitarian crises. Statelessness and Detention One of the most vulnerable groups facing indefinite detention at airports is stateless individuals—those without nationality or recognized citizenship. With no travel documents, no issuing authority to accept them, and no country of return, stateless people can languish in holding areas for years. Notable Example: Mehran Karimi Nasseri The inspiration behind Steven Spielberg's The Terminal , Mehran Karimi Nasseri, lived in Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport's Terminal 1 for 18 years. A complex web of lost documents, denied entry, and bureaucratic impasses left him in a perpetual state of limbo. Though dramatized in pop culture, his case remains a chilling example of bureaucratic abandonment in global mobility systems. When the System Backfires: Cases of Return to Danger While many countries promise legal due process for asylum seekers, expedited removals have led to tragic outcomes. In 2022, a Cameroonian journalist, fleeing political persecution, was deported back after being denied asylum at a U.S. airport. Within weeks, he was reportedly imprisoned and tortured by government forces. In 2024, an Iranian LGBTQ+ activist was detained upon arrival in Istanbul. Despite declaring intent to seek asylum, he was returned to Tehran under a bilateral deportation agreement. His fate remains unknown. These cases highlight the life-and-death consequences of ignoring asylum declarations made in transit. How Technology Is Weaponizing Borders Modern border surveillance technology—biometric scans, advanced passenger screening (APIS), and artificial intelligence—has made it easier for governments to pre-screen and flag travellers before they arrive. In 2025, over 120 countries are expected to participate in Passenger Name Record (PNR) data sharing, which tracks a wide range of details, including meal preferences and seat selections. When correlated with immigration risk profiles, this can result in pre-arrival denials or on-the-spot detentions. According to Amicus International's research, more than 4,000 travellers were denied boarding based on advanced biometric or risk analysis in 2024 alone. The Legal Loophole: 'Not Yet Admitted' A central problem lies in the legal status of individuals who arrive at an airport but are 'not yet admitted' into a country. In this state, they are often not considered to be under the country's jurisdiction, despite being physically present within its borders. This loophole allows countries to bypass due process by claiming that immigration laws don't apply until the individual is officially admitted. Critics argue that this destroys the intent of asylum law and creates a humanitarian vacuum in some of the world's most modern transportation hubs. Amicus International: Creating Legal Pathways Before the Journey Begins At Amicus International Consulting, clients are advised not to wait until they are at the airport to begin their asylum process. Instead, the firm helps at-risk individuals: Obtain second passports through legal citizenship-by-investment or ancestry programs through legal citizenship-by-investment or ancestry programs File pre-travel asylum or humanitarian visa requests Legally change names and identities when doing so provides enhanced security when doing so provides enhanced security Secure legal counsel in receiving countries before embarking on high-risk travel before embarking on high-risk travel Create documented case files that support asylum or protected status Amicus believes that the key to avoiding airport detention is preparation and proactivity, rather than post-arrival improvisation. Case Study: Asylum Success Through Strategic Planning In 2023, Amicus assisted a Rwandan political dissident targeted by government militias. Rather than risk detention in transit, the client was helped through a multi-jurisdictional citizenship program, securing Saint Lucia nationality via investment. With that passport, they entered Europe visa-free and applied for asylum once safely within a cooperative jurisdiction. The asylum case was approved within nine months, and the client is now a professor at a public university in the Netherlands. Legal Solutions, Not Smuggling Amicus stresses that its approach is rooted in legality and ethics. It rejects any association with smuggling networks or fraudulent document operations. Instead, it provides clients with diplomatic, legal, and administrative solutions to ensure safety, dignity, and compliance with international law. Policy Recommendations To address this growing global issue, Amicus calls on governments and institutions to: Create expedited humanitarian visa programs at embassies and consulates Ensure immediate access to legal counsel upon declaration of asylum Ban the detention of stateless individuals for more than 90 days Reform inadmissibility policies to include pre-screened protections Enhance accountability for returns that result in torture or death Conclusion: The Airport Is Not a Courtroom As migration pressures increase globally, airports have become unexpected battlegrounds for asylum rights. Between biometric profiling and bureaucratic indifference, genuine refugees risk being turned away—sometimes with fatal consequences. Amicus International Consulting believes that asylum is a right, not a privilege, and that systems must be redesigned to reflect this principle at every stage of the journey. Contact Information Phone: +1 (604) 200-5402Email: info@ Website:
