Ancient Statues Taken from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Valuable sculptures and cultural objects have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, sources confirm.
The robbery was noticed on Monday, when staff apparently found that a doorway had been damaged from the inside.
The half-dozen taken sculptures were made of marble and traced back to the Roman period, a source informed the news agency.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had opened an investigation to establish the "circumstances surrounding the loss of a collection of artifacts", and that steps had been implemented to enhance safeguarding and surveillance.
The director of internal security in the Damascus region, Security Chief Atkeh, was referenced by the official media as saying that law enforcement were probing the incident, which he said had focused on several "ancient sculptures and rare collectibles".
He added that museum protectors at the institution and additional people were being questioned.
The Damascus Museum, which was created in 1919, houses the most important cultural treasures in Syria.
It contains clay cuneiform tablets originating to the Bronze Age from historical site, where proof of the earliest complete alphabet was uncovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, one of the most important ancient sites of the historical period; and a third century synagogue that was built at another archaeological site.
The facility was compelled to shut in 2012, twelve months after the beginning of the destructive conflict. The majority of the artifacts was transferred and preserved at secure places to ensure their safety.
It began limited operations in recent years and returned to normal in January 2025, a month after insurgents deposed Syria's former leader.
Every one of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were affected or significantly impacted during the internal struggle.
The IS organization blew up multiple ancient buildings and other structures at Palmyra, claiming that they were against their beliefs. Unesco condemned the destruction as a violation.
Countless cultural items were also damaged or looted from dig sites and museums.
