Valuable Artifacts Taken from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Valuable artifacts and additional items have been taken from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, authorities report.
The burglary was found on Monday, when employees apparently found that a doorway had been forced from the inside.
The half-dozen missing sculptures were made of marble and traced back to the ancient Roman times, a source informed the news agency.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had launched a probe to establish the "circumstances surrounding the loss of a number of items", and that actions had been taken to strengthen security and surveillance.
The chief of internal security in the Damascus region, General Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the government press as saying that security forces were investigating the incident, which he said had focused on several "archaeological statues and unique items".
He continued that museum protectors at the museum and other individuals were being questioned.
The Damascus Museum, which was established in 1919, holds the significant historical artifacts in the country.
It contains historical records originating to the Bronze Age from an ancient city, where evidence of the most ancient complete alphabet was found; Greco-Roman period Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, one of the most important ancient sites of the classical era; and a 3rd Century AD Jewish temple that was established at an ancient location.
The facility was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, twelve months after the beginning of the devastating civil war. The majority of the holdings was transferred and kept at undisclosed sites to safeguard them.
It began limited operations in 2018 and returned to normal in January 2025, one month after rebel forces deposed President Bashar al-Assad.
Every one of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were harmed or partly ruined during the conflict.
The IS organization demolished multiple temples and historical sites at the archaeological site, stating that they were un-Islamic. The cultural organization denounced the demolition as a violation.
Many artefacts were also lost or taken from dig sites and collections.
