Historic Statues Removed from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Valuable artifacts and other artefacts have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in the capital, sources confirm.
The burglary was discovered on the start of the week, when museum workers apparently found that a doorway had been forced from the inside.
The six taken sculptures were crafted from marble and traced back to the Roman era, one official informed the media outlet.
Cultural heritage officials said it had initiated an inquiry to establish the "details surrounding the disappearance of a group of items", and that measures had been taken to improve safeguarding and observation methods.
The head of national security in the Damascus region, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the state-run Sana news agency as stating that authorities were probing the robbery, which he said had targeted several "ancient sculptures and valuable objects".
He noted that museum protectors at the facility and other individuals were being interviewed.
The Damascus Museum, which was established in 1919, holds the significant archaeological collection in the country.
It contains historical records tracing back to the ancient era from Ugarit, where proof of the earliest writing system was uncovered; Greco-Roman period classical statues from Palmyra, a significant ancient sites of the ancient world; and a ancient synagogue that was constructed at an ancient location.
The institution was forced to close in 2012, twelve months after the outbreak of the devastating civil war. Most of the collection was transferred and kept at secure places to ensure their safety.
It began limited operations in 2018 and completely reopened in January 2025, a month after opposition groups overthrew President Bashar al-Assad.
Every one of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were harmed or partly ruined during the internal struggle.
The IS organization blew up multiple temples and other structures at the archaeological site, claiming that they were against their beliefs. International authorities condemned the destruction as a war crime.
Numerous cultural items were also damaged or stolen from archaeological sites and cultural institutions.