Valuable Sculptures Stolen from the National Museum in Damascus
Valuable artifacts and cultural objects have been removed from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, authorities report.
The robbery was found on the start of the week, when museum workers reportedly found that one of the museum's doors had been damaged from the interior.
The six taken sculptures were made of marble and dated back to the Roman era, one official stated to the media outlet.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had opened an investigation to establish the "events surrounding the disappearance of a number of artifacts", and that steps had been implemented to enhance protection and monitoring systems.
The chief of internal security in Damascus province, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the state-run Sana news agency as saying that security forces were examining the robbery, which he said had focused on several "historical artifacts and rare collectibles".
He continued that museum protectors at the facility and other persons were being questioned.
The cultural institution, which was founded in the early twentieth century, holds the significant historical artifacts in the country.
It features historical records dating back to the Bronze Age from historical site, where evidence of the oldest known writing system was found; Greco-Roman period Greco-Roman sculptures from Palmyra, a significant ancient sites of the classical era; and a third century Jewish temple that was built at another archaeological site.
The museum was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, twelve months after the start of the devastating civil war. A large portion of the artifacts was transferred and stored at secret locations to safeguard them.
It reopened partially in recent years and resumed full operations in January 2025, a month after rebel forces deposed the Assad regime.
Each of the six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were harmed or partly ruined during the internal struggle.
The IS organization blew up multiple temples and additional edifices at Palmyra, stating that they were un-Islamic. Unesco denounced the destruction as a atrocity.
Numerous artefacts were also lost or stolen from historical locations and cultural institutions.
