Fake artefacts flood on to black market

Hoaxers are exploiting the growing black market in Middle Eastern antiquities by creating fake artefacts to dupe unsuspecting collectors, according to Syria’s antiquities director.

Fake ancient Bibles, Korans, mosaic tableaux and medieval coins are among the counterfeit items seized by police from smugglers in Damascus.

Thousands of ancient artefacts have been looted by all sides in Syria’s five-year-conflict, including Islamic State, which has raised millions from their sale. Most are smuggled into Lebanon and Turkey, bound for the black market as far away as America.

Maamoun Abdulkarim, director general of antiquities and museum in Syria, said the proportion of fakes among looted antiquities seized in Syria and Lebanon had risen from 30 per cent to 70 per cent in the past three years.

‘‘I hope the originals are stopped and the fakes go to the market place,’’ he told The Art Newspaper before his appearance yesterday (Thursday) at the Edinburgh International Cultural Festival. Abdulkarim also called for more help from British museums and scientists in saving Syria’s cultural legacy. In a separate interview he expressed gratitude for the support of universities in London, but added: ‘‘We need help from Scotland, from [elsewhere in] the UK, from France and Germany.

‘‘We need the visit of scientists, to exchange with us scientific ideas, from Scotland’s laboratories and museums, from UK, from Italy – sometimes they cannot come to Damascus, but perhaps we can meet in Beirut.’’

This year an ancient stone lintel illegally removed from Syria was discovered at an antique store in Mayfair by academics posing as collectors. It was seized by police.

Syria has requested its return but it currently remains in Britain. Lebanon is the only country that has yet returned seized antiquities to Syria.