Valuable Statues Taken from the National Museum in Damascus
Historic statues and additional items have been stolen from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, sources confirm.
The theft was found on Monday, when employees apparently found that a doorway had been broken from the inside.
The half-dozen taken pieces were marble creations and originated to the ancient Roman times, a source stated to the Associated Press.
Cultural heritage officials said it had initiated an inquiry to identify the "circumstances surrounding the theft of a collection of artifacts", and that actions had been implemented to enhance protection and surveillance.
The director of internal security in the capital area, General Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the state-run Sana news agency as saying that security forces were investigating the robbery, which he said had affected several "archaeological statues and valuable objects".
He continued that guards at the museum and other individuals were being interrogated.
The Damascus Museum, which was established in 1919, holds the primary archaeological collection in the country.
It includes clay cuneiform tablets dating back to the ancient era from an ancient city, where evidence of the earliest linguistic system was discovered; early centuries CE ancient art from Palmyra, among the foremost historical locations of the classical era; and a ancient synagogue that was built at Dura Europos.
The facility was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, one year after the outbreak of the internal strife. A large portion of the holdings was removed and preserved at undisclosed sites to safeguard them.
It reopened partially in recent years and completely reopened in January 2025, one month after insurgents overthrew Syria's former leader.
Every one of the country's cultural landmarks were harmed or partly ruined during the conflict.
The militant faction destroyed multiple ancient buildings and other structures at Palmyra, asserting that they were against their beliefs. Unesco denounced the destruction as a war crime.
Countless artefacts were also destroyed or looted from archaeological sites and cultural institutions.
