Ziya Hanus, a Syrian man, spent eight years protecting nearly 400 ancient artifacts he discovered while digging a bomb shelter to shield his family from bombardment. The Syrian resident of Idlib has since handed the collection over to national heritage authorities for preservation and future display.
Hanus began digging the shelter near his home after his region came under attack from various types of munitions during Syria’s civil war. He told reporters that he decided to build the shelter to protect his family and children. During the excavation, he said, he came across a cave filled with numerous historical objects from different periods.
Forced to flee, he kept the relics safe through 15 homes
With no background in archaeology, Hanus said he turned to a friend from his village who had expertise in the field. The friend told him the pieces represented a genuine treasure for the country and urged him to preserve them. Hanus said several traders later offered to buy the artifacts, but he followed his friend’s advice and kept the collection instead.
عثر على 513 قطعة نادرة أثناء الحرب في 2014.. وزارة الثقافة السورية تكرم مواطنا حافظ على كنز أثري لمدة 12 عاما
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🔴 وزارة الثقافة السورية كرمت المواطن ضياء الدين خنوس تقديراً لحفاظه على 513 قطعة أثرية عثر عليها في ريف إدلب عام 2014
🔴 خنوس قال في فيديو نشرته الوزارة على… pic.twitter.com/wZD9PQ23so
— العربية (@AlArabiya) September 10, 2026
Hanus said he was forced to leave Idlib in 2019 when regime forces advanced into the area. Despite the ongoing conflict and repeated displacement that followed, he worked to keep the artifacts from being looted or destroyed.
Over the years that followed, the pieces became almost like household belongings, traveling with him and his children through more than 15 different homes. He described carrying them with him everywhere, saying it felt as though he carried “a trust around his neck.”
Officials recover the ancient artifacts once hidden in the bomb shelter
Once security was restored to the region, Hanus reached out to officials at Syria’s General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums. They arrived to collect the ancient artifacts he had preserved since finding them in the bomb shelter excavation eight years earlier.
He said he viewed the collection as part of humanity’s shared heritage and was thankful to have safeguarded and delivered it faithfully.
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