Historic Artifacts Stolen from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Valuable sculptures and additional items have been stolen from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, officials say.
The robbery was found on Monday, when museum workers allegedly found that a doorway had been damaged from the interior.
The six taken statues were marble creations and traced back to the Roman period, an authority stated to the Associated Press.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had launched a probe to determine the "details surrounding the loss of a number of artifacts", and that actions had been implemented to enhance safeguarding and surveillance.
The director of domestic security in the Damascus region, General Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the official media as declaring that security forces were probing the robbery, which he said had focused on several "historical artifacts and rare collectibles".
He added that museum protectors at the institution and other persons were being questioned.
The National Museum, which was founded in 1919, houses the primary cultural treasures in the country.
It includes ancient inscribed tablets originating to the ancient era from historical site, where evidence of the most ancient linguistic system was discovered; Greco-Roman period Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, a significant historical locations of the historical period; and a third century religious building that was built at an ancient location.
The facility was forced to close in the early 2010s, twelve months after the beginning of the devastating civil war. Most of the artifacts was evacuated and kept at secure places to protect them.
It began limited operations in 2018 and returned to normal in January 2025, a month after rebel forces removed President Bashar al-Assad.
Every one of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were harmed or partially destroyed during the conflict.
The IS organization destroyed multiple temples and other structures at the archaeological site, stating that they were against their beliefs. The cultural organization condemned the damage as a violation.
Countless cultural items were also lost or stolen from dig sites and museums.
