Valuable Statues Taken from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Valuable artifacts and other artefacts have been stolen from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, sources confirm.
The burglary was found on Monday, when museum workers allegedly found that one of the museum's doors had been broken from the interior.
The six taken pieces were marble creations and traced back to the Roman period, an authority told the media outlet.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had launched a probe to establish the "circumstances surrounding the theft of a collection of exhibits", and that actions had been taken to strengthen security and observation methods.
The chief of domestic security in the capital area, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the official media as stating that security forces were investigating the robbery, which he said had affected several "ancient sculptures and valuable objects".
He added that guards at the museum and other individuals were being questioned.
The cultural institution, which was created in 1919, houses the primary archaeological collection in the country.
It features clay cuneiform tablets originating to the 14th Century BC from historical site, where indications of the most ancient complete alphabet was found; early centuries CE ancient art from Palmyra, among the foremost historical locations of the ancient world; and a ancient synagogue that was constructed at another archaeological site.
The museum was compelled to shut in 2012, one year after the beginning of the destructive conflict. Most of the holdings was evacuated and preserved at secure places to protect them.
It began limited operations in recent years and completely reopened in January 2025, four weeks after opposition groups removed President Bashar al-Assad.
All six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were harmed or significantly impacted during the civil war.
The IS organization demolished several religious structures and historical sites at Palmyra, stating that they were un-Islamic. The cultural organization censured the demolition as a violation.
Many artefacts were also lost or taken from archaeological sites and collections.
