Valuable Artifacts Stolen from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic statues and cultural objects have been removed from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, sources confirm.
The robbery was found on the start of the week, when employees reportedly found that a doorway had been forced from the interior.
The half-dozen taken pieces were crafted from marble and originated to the Roman era, an authority told the media outlet.
Cultural heritage officials said it had opened an investigation to identify the "details surrounding the theft of a collection of exhibits", and that measures had been implemented to strengthen security and surveillance.
The director of internal security in the capital area, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the official media as saying that authorities were examining the theft, which he said had affected several "ancient sculptures and unique items".
He continued that museum protectors at the institution and other persons were being interrogated.
The National Museum, which was created in the early twentieth century, holds the most important cultural treasures in Syria.
It features clay cuneiform tablets dating back to the Bronze Age from an ancient city, where evidence of the oldest known linguistic system was discovered; early centuries CE classical statues from the ancient city, among the foremost ancient sites of the classical era; and a third century synagogue that was constructed at another archaeological site.
The museum was forced to close in the early 2010s, one year after the outbreak of the destructive conflict. Most of the collection was evacuated and stored at secret locations to ensure their safety.
It partially resumed in recent years and resumed full operations in January 2025, four weeks after opposition groups removed the Assad regime.
Each of the six of the country's cultural landmarks were damaged or significantly impacted during the internal struggle.
The IS organization destroyed multiple ancient buildings and additional edifices at Palmyra, stating that they were idolatrous. The cultural organization censured the damage as a violation.
Countless artefacts were also damaged or stolen from dig sites and collections.
