Historic Artifacts Removed from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Ancient sculptures and cultural objects have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, sources confirm.
The burglary was noticed on Monday, when employees apparently found that a doorway had been damaged from the interior.
The half-dozen stolen sculptures were made of marble and traced back to the Roman era, one official informed the news agency.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had initiated an inquiry to determine the "details surrounding the loss of a collection of artifacts", and that actions had been enacted to improve safeguarding and monitoring systems.
The director of domestic security in Damascus province, Security Chief Atkeh, was quoted by the state-run Sana news agency as declaring that authorities were investigating the incident, which he said had affected several "ancient sculptures and unique items".
He noted that guards at the institution and other individuals were being interrogated.
The Damascus Museum, which was created in the early twentieth century, houses the most important historical artifacts in the country.
It features clay cuneiform tablets dating back to the ancient era from an ancient city, where proof of the most ancient complete alphabet was uncovered; Greco-Roman period classical statues from historical site, a significant cultural centres of the ancient world; and a third century Jewish temple that was established at another archaeological site.
The museum was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, twelve months after the outbreak of the internal strife. Most of the collection was evacuated and stored at secure places to ensure their safety.
It partially resumed in 2018 and resumed full operations in January 2025, a month after rebel forces deposed Syria's former leader.
Each of the six of nationally recognized sites were harmed or partially destroyed during the civil war.
The IS organization destroyed multiple temples and additional edifices at the ancient city, claiming that they were un-Islamic. Unesco censured the damage as a violation.
Numerous cultural items were also destroyed or stolen from historical locations and collections.
