France helps Syrian archaeologists fill in the cracks

A general view shows part of the Crusader castle of Crac des Chevaliers, in Homs province, Syria May 24, 2016. REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Young Syrians tasked with restoring their country's world famous archaeological heritage, ravaged by five years of war, are getting a helping hand from French experts.

Syria's antiquities chief, Maamoun Abdulkarim, has already moved thousands of artefacts from the ancient city of Palmyra - some of whose temples were dynamited last year by jihadist group Islamic State - and other historic sites into safekeeping.