Historic Artifacts Removed from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Valuable statues and additional items have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, sources confirm.
The robbery was found on the start of the week, when museum workers apparently found that a doorway had been forced from the inside.
The multiple missing statues were made of marble and traced back to the ancient Roman times, one official stated to the news agency.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had opened an investigation to identify the "details surrounding the theft of a collection of artifacts", and that actions had been taken to improve protection 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 incident, which he said had targeted several "ancient sculptures and valuable objects".
He added that museum protectors at the museum and additional people were being interrogated.
The Damascus Museum, which was created in the early twentieth century, contains the most important archaeological collection in Syria.
It features historical records dating back to the 14th Century BC from historical site, where evidence of the earliest complete alphabet was found; Greco-Roman period ancient art from historical site, a significant ancient sites of the ancient world; and a third century synagogue that was constructed at another archaeological site.
The institution was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, a year after the beginning of the destructive conflict. The majority of the collection was transferred and preserved at secure places to protect them.
It began limited operations in recent years and completely reopened in January 2025, four weeks after rebel forces removed President Bashar al-Assad.
All six of the country's cultural landmarks were damaged or partially destroyed during the internal struggle.
The Islamic State group blew up several ancient buildings and historical sites at the ancient city, claiming that they were un-Islamic. The cultural organization condemned the destruction as a war crime.
Numerous historical objects were also destroyed or stolen from dig sites and museums.
