Valuable Statues Stolen from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Valuable artifacts and other artefacts have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in the capital, authorities report.
The theft was found on Monday, when employees reportedly found that a doorway had been broken from the interior.
The six stolen sculptures were made of marble and originated to the Roman period, a source told the news agency.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had initiated an inquiry to establish the "details surrounding the disappearance of a number of artifacts", and that steps had been implemented to improve security and observation methods.
The director of internal security in the Damascus region, Security Chief Atkeh, was quoted by the government press as stating that law enforcement were examining the robbery, which he said had focused on several "ancient sculptures and valuable objects".
He continued that security personnel at the facility and other persons were being interrogated.
The Damascus Museum, which was created in the early twentieth century, holds the most important historical artifacts in Syria.
It contains clay cuneiform tablets originating to the Bronze Age from historical site, where evidence of the earliest complete alphabet was uncovered; early centuries CE classical statues from the ancient city, a significant ancient sites of the ancient world; and a third century religious building that was established at an ancient location.
The museum was had to cease operations in 2012, twelve months after the beginning of the devastating civil war. The majority of the holdings was transferred and kept at secret locations to safeguard them.
It began limited operations in 2018 and returned to normal in January 2025, four weeks after insurgents deposed the Assad regime.
Each of the six of the country's cultural landmarks were harmed or partly ruined during the conflict.
The Islamic State group demolished numerous temples and additional edifices at Palmyra, stating that they were against their beliefs. International authorities censured the damage as a war crime.
Numerous cultural items were also lost or stolen from dig sites and collections.