General Characteristics of the Syrian Antiquities Protection Law

Relevance. One of the most important tasks of the state at the present stage of development is to preserve the universally recognized achievements of the cultural and historical life of our ancestors. Respect for one's past is of particular importance for the formation of a national ethno-cultural identity. The Syrian legislation has a unique character in this part, where at the same time a criminal law norm and a norm of the Law on the Protection of Historical Monuments can be applied to the perpetrator. Despite the fact that the Law on the Protection of Historical Monuments is an integral part of criminal legislation, it defines the rights and obligations of both individuals and legal entities, specifies the powers of state bodies, i.e. performs not only a protective, but also a regulatory function. The ongoing armed conflict in Syria, when historical monuments are being destroyed, underlines the urgency of the study of protective legislation. The purpose of this study is an in-depth characterization of the law on the protection of cultural and historical heritage monuments, the development of theoretical provisions and recommendations for improving the legislation of the protection law and protection of cultural and historical heritage monuments. Objectives. These goals lead to the formulation and solution of the following tasks: to present the concept and types of objects of cultural and historical heritage; to determine the specifics of the legal regulation of the order of preservation of ancient monuments; to identify problems and propose ways to solve them in the field of regulation of the protective legislation of Syria of cultural heritage objects. Methodology. In the course of the study, the subsequent methods were used: analytical, formal-legal, and ab-straction methods, which make it possible to formulate the main conclusions. Results. Proposals have been formulated that may be useful in the development of the Law on Antiquities. Conclusion. The present study tackles issues such as the definition of ancient monuments, their types, the provisions on the right of ownership and some legal norms according to which these monuments are protected, as well as on the types of crimes committed against cultural heritage objects.