Valuable Sculptures Taken from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Ancient sculptures and other artefacts have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, authorities report.
The robbery was discovered on the start of the week, when staff reportedly found that a doorway had been broken from the inside.
The multiple taken pieces were crafted from marble and dated back to the Roman era, one official told the news agency.
Cultural heritage officials said it had opened an investigation to establish the "circumstances surrounding the disappearance of a number of items", and that actions had been implemented to strengthen protection and observation methods.
The chief of national security in the Damascus region, Security Chief Atkeh, was referenced by the government press as saying that authorities were probing the theft, which he said had targeted several "historical artifacts and unique items".
He continued that museum protectors at the museum and additional people were being interviewed.
The Damascus Museum, which was established in the early twentieth century, holds the primary cultural treasures in the country.
It includes ancient inscribed tablets dating back to the Bronze Age from historical site, where evidence of the most ancient linguistic system was discovered; early centuries CE classical statues from historical site, among the foremost cultural centres of the ancient world; and a 3rd Century AD religious building that was established at another archaeological site.
The museum was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, a year after the outbreak of the internal strife. Most of the artifacts was transferred and preserved at secure places to safeguard them.
It began limited operations in 2018 and resumed full operations in January 2025, one month after insurgents deposed the Assad regime.
All six of nationally recognized sites were harmed or partly ruined during the internal struggle.
The Islamic State group blew up several religious structures and additional edifices at the archaeological site, stating that they were un-Islamic. Unesco denounced the damage as a atrocity.
Numerous artefacts were also damaged or looted from dig sites and museums.
