Ancient Artifacts Stolen from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Ancient artifacts and other artefacts have been taken from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, sources confirm.
The robbery was found on the start of the week, when staff allegedly found that one of the museum's doors had been forced from the inside.
The six taken statues were made of marble and dated back to the Roman period, a source stated to the Associated Press.
Cultural heritage officials said it had opened an investigation to identify the "details surrounding the disappearance of a number of artifacts", and that actions had been taken to strengthen protection and surveillance.
The director of internal security in the capital area, Security Chief Atkeh, was referenced by the official media as declaring that law enforcement were examining the incident, which he said had targeted several "ancient sculptures and valuable objects".
He continued that guards at the institution and additional people were being interviewed.
The National Museum, which was created in 1919, holds the most important archaeological collection in Syria.
It features ancient inscribed tablets tracing back to the ancient era from an ancient city, where proof of the oldest known writing system was uncovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD classical statues from Palmyra, a significant cultural centres of the ancient world; and a ancient Jewish temple that was established at Dura Europos.
The institution was compelled to shut in 2012, a year after the start of the internal strife. Most of the holdings was evacuated and preserved at secret locations to ensure their safety.
It partially resumed in 2018 and resumed full operations in January 2025, a month after opposition groups overthrew President Bashar al-Assad.
Every one of nationally recognized sites were damaged or significantly impacted during the internal struggle.
The Islamic State group blew up numerous temples and historical sites at Palmyra, stating that they were against their beliefs. International authorities condemned the damage as a war crime.
Numerous historical objects were also destroyed or looted from dig sites and cultural institutions.
