Ancient Statues Stolen from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Valuable artifacts and cultural objects have been taken from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, authorities report.
The burglary was found on Monday, when staff allegedly found that a doorway had been forced from the inside.
The half-dozen stolen statues were marble creations and originated to the Roman period, one official informed the news agency.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had opened an investigation to establish the "circumstances surrounding the disappearance of a group of items", and that steps had been implemented to enhance protection and monitoring systems.
The head of national security in the Damascus region, General Osama Atkeh, was cited by the state-run Sana news agency as saying that authorities were investigating the incident, which he said had targeted several "historical artifacts and rare collectibles".
He noted that security personnel at the facility and additional people were being interrogated.
The Damascus Museum, which was founded in the early twentieth century, houses the primary cultural treasures in Syria.
It includes historical records dating back to the ancient era from historical site, where indications of the earliest complete alphabet was discovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, a significant ancient sites of the historical period; and a third century synagogue that was established at Dura Europos.
The facility was had to cease operations in 2012, twelve months after the beginning of the devastating civil war. A large portion of the artifacts was removed and preserved at secret locations to protect them.
It reopened partially in 2018 and resumed full operations in January 2025, four weeks after insurgents overthrew President Bashar al-Assad.
All six of nationally recognized sites were damaged or partially destroyed during the conflict.
The IS organization blew up multiple ancient buildings and additional edifices at Palmyra, stating that they were un-Islamic. The cultural organization condemned the destruction as a violation.
Many cultural items were also destroyed or taken from archaeological sites and cultural institutions.
