Historic Artifacts Stolen from the National Museum in Damascus
Valuable statues and other artefacts have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, officials say.
The theft was found on the start of the week, when museum workers reportedly found that a doorway had been damaged from the inside.
The multiple missing statues were marble creations and originated to the ancient Roman times, a source stated to the media outlet.
Cultural heritage officials said it had opened an investigation to identify the "details surrounding the loss of a number of artifacts", and that actions had been taken to enhance protection and monitoring systems.
The chief of internal security in the capital area, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the government press as stating that security forces were probing the robbery, which he said had affected several "ancient sculptures and valuable objects".
He noted that security personnel at the museum and additional people were being interrogated.
The Damascus Museum, which was founded in the early twentieth century, holds the most important cultural treasures in Syria.
It contains historical records originating to the ancient era from Ugarit, where proof of the most ancient writing system was uncovered; early centuries CE classical statues from the ancient city, one of the most important historical locations of the classical era; and a third century Jewish temple that was constructed at another archaeological site.
The institution was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, twelve months after the outbreak of the devastating civil war. Most of the collection was transferred and kept at undisclosed sites to protect them.
It reopened partially in 2018 and resumed full operations in January 2025, a month after opposition groups deposed President Bashar al-Assad.
All six of nationally recognized sites were affected or partially destroyed during the civil war.
The militant faction destroyed multiple temples and other structures at Palmyra, claiming that they were idolatrous. The cultural organization censured the damage as a atrocity.
Countless historical objects were also damaged or looted from archaeological sites and cultural institutions.
