In Damascus, the city always pulsing with civilization and history, Salim Adel bin Mustafa Abdul Haq was born on December 14, 1913. From a very young age, his parents and those around him noticed his sharp intellect and acute awareness. He completed his schooling in two stages: the first began in 1919 when he entered elementary education at Al-Bahsa School, then continued at Al-Malik Al-Adil Elementary School. In the secondary schools of Damascus, he completed both the preparatory and secondary stages, after which he joined the Teachers’ House and obtained its certificate.

Since graduates of the Teachers’ House were not permitted to continue their studies at the Syrian University, and because the Ministry of Education sent some outstanding students abroad, he was granted the opportunity to study in France, marking the second stage of his academic life. In Paris, Salim Adel Abdul Haq lived with a group of young scholars who later became leading figures in government and education across various fields. He earned a degree (Licence) in Art History, followed by a diploma from the Louvre Institute in Art and Archaeology. At the same time, he studied Urban Planning (Urbanisme) in Paris, from which he later earned a doctorate in the same specialization.

All this occurred before and during World War II, despite the difficult circumstances it brought to students abroad. During this time, he met his doctoral colleague Andrée Jean Mobier, whom he married. They had two children: a son, Samir, who earned a doctorate in Urban Planning, and a daughter, Mai, who specialized in Political Studies and Science.

Salim Adel Abdul Haq began his professional career as a teacher in Damascus’ elementary schools in 1933 at the age of twenty, then was appointed as a secondary school teacher in Damascus in 1940. After returning from France in 1945, he was appointed General Curator of the National Museum of Damascus, succeeding Prince Jaafar Al-Hasani, who had managed the museum and founded its first nucleus in 1935.

It is worth noting that the National Museum of Damascus had been established in 1919 under the title “Department of Antiquities and Libraries,” which emerged from the “Diwan of Knowledge” upon its founding and headed by the encyclopedic scholar Muhammad Kurd Ali. Abdul Haq entrusted Abdo Kaheel with managing this department, a young man fascinated by archaeology, initially operating from a small room in Al-Adiliya School. The department later became known as the “Royal Museum” after King Faisal’s coronation in 1920, with Mahmoud Wahbi appointed as its director until 1935, when Prince Jaafar Al-Hasani returned from France after completing his studies. The museum then moved to its current location, with its first wing designed by the French engineer Ecochar.

Thus, in 1945, Dr. Salim Adel Abdul Haq was appointed curator of the National Museum of Damascus. Shortly after, he was also assigned to teach at the Faculty of Arts, Department of History, at Damascus University, continuing from 1948 to 1964 as a lecturer in Roman and Byzantine History. Additionally, he taught Architectural History at the Faculty of Engineering between 1959 and 1964. Dr. Abdul Haq was distinguished by his formal yet engaging style, clear and powerful language, and eloquence, attracting students to his lectures for their scientific and literary appeal.

By 1950, Dr. Salim Adel Abdul Haq was appointed Director-General of Antiquities. Under his leadership, both the National Museum of Damascus and the General Directorate of Antiquities became hubs of continuous scholarly and practical work. He devoted himself entirely to advancing his department to international standards. Among his achievements in administration, he helped enact the Syrian Antiquities Law, considered a model law by UNESCO, which requested its translation into French for submission to its headquarters in Paris. He also established regulations for staff at the Directorate of Antiquities and Museums, ensuring specialized opportunities and independence in their work.

To meet the growing workload, he expanded the current directorate building and established new departments: Engineering, Excavations, Research, Museums, Inspection, and Historical Documents—the latter founded by Dr. Muhammad Nader Al-Attar, who was supported fully by Dr. Abdul Haq.

In museums, he oversaw two major expansions of the National Museum of Damascus. The first in 1947 included construction of Islamic section halls, the permanent exhibition, and the arcade; the second in 1955 added the remaining Islamic halls and the Ancient Near Eastern section. In the 1960s, the Sham Hall, donated by the late Jamil Mardam Bey, was added, with its stones, wood, and decorations transferred from a Damascus palace near Al-Hamidiyah Souq. Dr. Abdul Haq divided the museum into four sections: Ancient Syrian, Classical, Islamic, and Modern, appointing a curator for each while overseeing all as Chief Curator.

He began restoring the Al-Jaqmaqiya School to convert it into a Museum of Arabic Calligraphy, which eventually opened in 1983. He also established the Museum of Popular Traditions (Al-Azm Palace) in Damascus with the late ethnographer Shafiq Al-Imam, considered one of the world’s most beautiful museums due to its location, architecture, organization, and proximity to the Umayyad Mosque and major markets.

In Hama, he established a Museum of Folk Arts in Al-Azm Palace, overlooking the Orontes River and historic sites like Hama Citadel, Al-Nuri Mosque, Sultan Bath, Al-Kilani Castle, and Al-Kilani Zawiya. He supervised the transfer of the Western facade of Al-Hayr Palace from Palmyra to the National Museum of Damascus, constructing the entrance, part of the arcade, and two adjacent halls, with the upper floor replicating the original eastern palace built by Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik in 109 AH, assisted by the archaeologist Naseeb Salibi. He also converted the historic cathedral in Tartus into a museum after restoration and adaptation to display coastal archaeological treasures.

Between 1935 and 1955, antiquities authorities focused on preserving artifacts in Damascus and Aleppo due to the lack of museums elsewhere. Damascus’ museum housed classical, Islamic, and modern artifacts, while Aleppo’s Northern Museum preserved Ancient Near Eastern artifacts, founded in 1929. In 1955, due to structural issues in Aleppo’s museum, Dr. Abdul Haq held an international competition for a new museum building, won by two Yugoslav engineers. The museum was rebuilt, featuring two massive lions from Tel Halaf at the entrance, reviving Syria’s second-largest museum. Restoration studies were also conducted for Aleppo Citadel and the Throne Hall, along with many other important buildings across Syria.

In documentation, he classified historical buildings scientifically, creating files for each site with historical descriptions, architectural and topographical plans, prepared by the Directorate’s engineering team and a few specialized engineers. Files included artistic photographs taken by the photography department he established, supervised by the esteemed artist Dr. Marwan Muslimani, creating a living record of Syria’s archaeological sites.

Regarding the restoration workshop, a specialized department was established within the directorate to restore both small and large artifacts…