Valuable Statues Removed from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic artifacts and additional items have been stolen from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, sources confirm.
The theft was noticed on Monday, when staff reportedly found that a doorway had been forced from the interior.
The six missing pieces were crafted from marble and dated back to the ancient Roman times, an authority informed the news agency.
Cultural heritage officials said it had opened an investigation to establish the "details surrounding the theft of a collection of exhibits", and that actions had been implemented to enhance protection and observation methods.
The head of national security in the capital area, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was cited by the state-run Sana news agency as saying that authorities were examining the robbery, which he said had affected several "archaeological statues and rare collectibles".
He noted that museum protectors at the museum and other persons were being interviewed.
The National Museum, which was founded in 1919, houses the most important historical artifacts in Syria.
It includes clay cuneiform tablets originating to the Bronze Age from an ancient city, where indications of the oldest known linguistic system was found; Greco-Roman period ancient art from Palmyra, among the foremost cultural centres of the ancient world; and a ancient religious building that was constructed at another archaeological site.
The institution was forced to close in the early 2010s, a year after the beginning of the destructive conflict. The majority of the collection was evacuated and preserved at secure places to protect them.
It reopened partially in 2018 and returned to normal in January 2025, a month after rebel forces overthrew President Bashar al-Assad.
Each of the six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were damaged or significantly impacted during the internal struggle.
The Islamic State group blew up numerous religious structures and other structures at Palmyra, claiming that they were against their beliefs. Unesco denounced the demolition as a war crime.
Countless historical objects were also damaged or taken from dig sites and cultural institutions.
