Valuable Statues Taken from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Valuable sculptures and cultural objects have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, authorities report.
The robbery was found on Monday, when employees apparently found that one of the museum's doors had been forced from the interior.
The multiple missing pieces were made of marble and dated back to the Roman period, one official informed the Associated Press.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had initiated an inquiry to identify the "circumstances surrounding the loss of a number of exhibits", and that measures had been implemented to strengthen protection and observation methods.
The head of national security in Damascus province, General Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the government press as saying that law enforcement were examining the incident, which he said had focused on several "archaeological statues and unique items".
He continued that security personnel at the museum and other persons were being interviewed.
The cultural institution, which was founded in 1919, houses the most important archaeological collection in Syria.
It features clay cuneiform tablets originating to the ancient era from Ugarit, where indications of the earliest writing system was discovered; Greco-Roman period classical statues from the ancient city, a significant ancient sites of the ancient world; and a third century synagogue that was constructed at another archaeological site.
The institution was compelled to shut in 2012, one year after the outbreak of the destructive conflict. Most of the holdings was transferred and kept at undisclosed sites to ensure their safety.
It began limited operations in 2018 and resumed full operations in January 2025, four weeks after rebel forces removed the Assad regime.
Every one of nationally recognized sites were affected or significantly impacted during the internal struggle.
The Islamic State group blew up multiple temples and other structures at the archaeological site, stating that they were idolatrous. Unesco denounced the demolition as a war crime.
Countless historical objects were also damaged or looted from dig sites and collections.
