Valuable Sculptures Taken from the National Museum in Damascus
Historic sculptures and other artefacts have been removed from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, sources confirm.
The robbery was found on Monday, when employees allegedly found that one of the museum's doors had been forced from the interior.
The half-dozen stolen pieces were made of marble and traced back to the ancient Roman times, a source stated to the Associated Press.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had opened an investigation to identify the "events surrounding the theft of a collection of exhibits", and that measures had been implemented to improve security and observation methods.
The chief of domestic security in the Damascus region, Security Chief Atkeh, was referenced by the state-run Sana news agency as declaring that authorities were investigating the incident, which he said had affected several "archaeological statues and rare collectibles".
He noted that museum protectors at the facility and other individuals were being questioned.
The Damascus Museum, which was established in the early twentieth century, houses the most important archaeological collection in the country.
It includes clay cuneiform tablets tracing back to the ancient era from Ugarit, where evidence of the earliest linguistic system was found; Greco-Roman period classical statues from the ancient city, a significant historical locations of the historical period; and a third century synagogue that was established at Dura Europos.
The facility was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, a year after the outbreak of the destructive conflict. Most of the artifacts was removed and kept at secure places to ensure their safety.
It partially resumed in 2018 and resumed full operations in January 2025, a month after insurgents deposed Syria's former leader.
Each of the six of the country's cultural landmarks were harmed or significantly impacted during the conflict.
The Islamic State group destroyed multiple religious structures and additional edifices at the archaeological site, stating that they were against their beliefs. The cultural organization censured the damage as a atrocity.
Numerous cultural items were also lost or looted from historical locations and cultural institutions.
