Historic Sculptures Removed from the National Museum in Damascus
Ancient artifacts and cultural objects have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, officials say.
The burglary was noticed on Monday, when staff apparently found that one of the museum's doors had been damaged from the inside.
The multiple taken pieces were crafted from marble and dated back to the Roman period, an authority stated to the media outlet.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had initiated an inquiry to determine the "details surrounding the loss of a collection of items", and that measures had been enacted to improve safeguarding and observation methods.
The director of national security in the Damascus region, Security Chief Atkeh, was quoted by the government press as saying that law enforcement were examining the theft, which he said had affected several "ancient sculptures and valuable objects".
He added that museum protectors at the institution and other persons were being questioned.
The Damascus Museum, which was created in the early twentieth century, holds the primary cultural treasures in the country.
It includes ancient inscribed tablets tracing back to the ancient era from historical site, where indications of the oldest known complete alphabet was discovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD ancient art from the ancient city, a significant cultural centres of the ancient world; and a ancient Jewish temple that was constructed at an ancient location.
The museum was compelled to shut in 2012, twelve months after the start of the devastating civil war. Most of the collection was evacuated and kept at undisclosed sites to ensure their safety.
It began limited operations in 2018 and completely reopened in January 2025, one month after opposition groups deposed President Bashar al-Assad.
Each of the six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were damaged or partly ruined during the conflict.
The militant faction demolished several religious structures and historical sites at the archaeological site, asserting that they were against their beliefs. Unesco condemned the destruction as a atrocity.
Numerous artefacts were also lost or looted from historical locations and collections.
