Valuable Statues Removed from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Ancient artifacts and cultural objects have been removed from Syria's National Museum in the capital, officials say.
The robbery was found on the start of the week, when museum workers allegedly found that an entrance had been damaged from the inside.
The multiple missing pieces were marble creations and originated to the Roman era, one official informed the media outlet.
Cultural heritage officials said it had initiated an inquiry to identify the "events surrounding the loss of a group of exhibits", and that actions had been enacted to strengthen safeguarding and observation methods.
The director of national security in Damascus province, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the official media as saying that security forces were investigating the incident, which he said had targeted several "ancient sculptures and valuable objects".
He continued that security personnel at the institution and additional people were being interviewed.
The cultural institution, which was created in 1919, holds the most important archaeological collection in Syria.
It features clay cuneiform tablets tracing back to the 14th Century BC from Ugarit, where evidence of the earliest writing system was discovered; early centuries CE ancient art from Palmyra, a significant historical locations of the historical period; and a 3rd Century AD religious building that was established at another archaeological site.
The facility was forced to close in the early 2010s, a year after the start of the destructive conflict. The majority of the collection was removed and preserved at secure places to safeguard them.
It began limited operations in 2018 and returned to normal in January 2025, four weeks after insurgents deposed the Assad regime.
All six of nationally recognized sites were damaged or partially destroyed during the civil war.
The militant faction destroyed numerous temples and other structures at the ancient city, claiming that they were idolatrous. Unesco condemned the destruction as a war crime.
Countless cultural items were also destroyed or stolen from historical locations and cultural institutions.
