Ancient Artifacts Removed from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic artifacts and cultural objects have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, officials say.
The robbery was discovered on the start of the week, when museum workers reportedly found that a doorway had been broken from the interior.
The half-dozen taken statues were crafted from marble and traced back to the Roman era, a source stated to the media outlet.
Cultural heritage officials said it had launched a probe to determine the "circumstances surrounding the loss of a collection of exhibits", and that steps had been implemented to strengthen safeguarding and monitoring systems.
The head of internal security in the capital area, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was cited by the state-run Sana news agency as stating that authorities were probing the theft, which he said had affected several "historical artifacts and rare collectibles".
He continued that guards at the museum and other individuals were being interrogated.
The Damascus Museum, which was created in 1919, houses the primary archaeological collection in the country.
It contains ancient inscribed tablets tracing back to the ancient era from historical site, where proof of the earliest complete alphabet was uncovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD classical statues from the ancient city, one of the most important ancient sites of the ancient world; and a third century synagogue that was established at Dura Europos.
The museum was forced to close in the early 2010s, a year after the start of the internal strife. Most of the collection was transferred and kept at secure places to ensure their safety.
It partially resumed in 2018 and completely reopened in January 2025, a month after insurgents overthrew President Bashar al-Assad.
Each of the six of nationally recognized sites were damaged or partly ruined during the conflict.
The Islamic State group destroyed numerous ancient buildings and additional edifices at the ancient city, claiming that they were idolatrous. The cultural organization condemned the destruction as a war crime.
Countless artefacts were also damaged or taken from historical locations and cultural institutions.
