Preservationists struggle to restore Sudan’s shattered cultural treasures

Preservationists struggle to restore Sudan’s shattered cultural treasures
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Preservationists in Sudan are working to salvage and restore cultural treasures damaged or looted during the country’s ongoing civil conflict, an article by Arab News reported.

At Khartoum’s National Museum, officials discovered shattered pottery, broken statues, and debris strewn among bullet casings and glass. The facility, along with other historic sites, sustained extensive damage amid years of fighting between rival factions.

Museum authorities estimate that around 4,000 antiquities are missing nationwide. In western Sudan’s Darfur region alone, about 700 artifacts disappeared from museums in cities like Nyala and El Geneina, where the museum’s curator was reportedly killed during shelling.

Many of the stolen antiquities appear to have been smuggled across borders into neighboring states. Efforts to recover and restore what remains are hampered by limited resources and ongoing instability.

Restoration costs have been tentatively estimated at up to $100 million, a figure preservationists say is difficult to meet given Sudan’s economic devastation. Before the war, the country hosted around 45 archaeological missions; today, all have halted operations.

Rehab Kheder Al-Rasheed, head of a committee charged with securing cultural sites, described the scene in the museum as “extremely damaged,” noting that nearly every artifact “has a story” but now lies broken or missing.

The destruction of Sudan’s cultural heritage adds a tragic dimension to the human toll of the war, erasing centuries of history and identity even as communities struggle with displacement, hunger, and violence.