Valuable Statues Taken from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Ancient artifacts and cultural objects have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, authorities report.
The theft was found on Monday, when employees apparently found that a doorway had been broken from the inside.
The multiple taken pieces were crafted from marble and traced back to the ancient Roman times, one official informed the news agency.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had launched a probe to identify the "circumstances surrounding the theft of a group of artifacts", and that steps had been taken to improve safeguarding and surveillance.
The director of national security in the capital area, Security Chief Atkeh, was cited by the state-run Sana news agency as stating that security forces were probing the theft, which he said had affected several "archaeological statues and rare collectibles".
He noted that museum protectors at the institution and other persons were being questioned.
The Damascus Museum, which was founded in the early twentieth century, contains the significant archaeological collection in Syria.
It features clay cuneiform tablets originating to the Bronze Age from an ancient city, where evidence of the earliest linguistic system was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, one of the most important historical locations of the classical era; and a third century synagogue that was built at Dura Europos.
The institution was forced to close in the early 2010s, a year after the outbreak of the destructive conflict. A large portion of the holdings was removed and kept at secret locations to ensure their safety.
It reopened partially in recent years and completely reopened in January 2025, a month after rebel forces overthrew President Bashar al-Assad.
All six of the country's cultural landmarks were affected or partly ruined during the internal struggle.
The militant faction demolished several religious structures and other structures at the ancient city, stating that they were un-Islamic. The cultural organization condemned the damage as a war crime.
Numerous artefacts were also lost or stolen from dig sites and collections.
