Ancient Statues Removed from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Valuable artifacts and other artefacts have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, officials say.
The robbery was discovered on Monday, when staff apparently found that a doorway had been broken from the interior.
The multiple taken statues were marble creations and traced back to the Roman period, an authority informed the Associated Press.
Cultural heritage officials said it had launched a probe to identify the "details surrounding the loss of a collection of items", and that actions had been implemented to enhance safeguarding and surveillance.
The director of national security in the capital area, Security Chief Atkeh, was quoted by the government press as stating that authorities were probing the robbery, which he said had targeted several "archaeological statues and unique items".
He continued that security personnel at the facility and other individuals were being interviewed.
The cultural institution, which was founded in the early twentieth century, houses the significant archaeological collection in the country.
It includes clay cuneiform tablets tracing back to the 14th Century BC from Ugarit, where evidence of the oldest known linguistic system was found; early centuries CE classical statues from the ancient city, a significant historical locations of the historical period; and a ancient synagogue that was established at another archaeological site.
The museum was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, a year after the beginning of the internal strife. A large portion of the artifacts was transferred and stored at secret locations to safeguard them.
It partially resumed in 2018 and returned to normal in January 2025, a month after rebel forces deposed the Assad regime.
All six of the country's cultural landmarks were damaged or significantly impacted during the internal struggle.
The Islamic State group demolished multiple temples and other structures at the archaeological site, asserting that they were un-Islamic. International authorities denounced the demolition as a violation.
Countless artefacts were also lost or looted from archaeological sites and collections.
