Valuable Sculptures Stolen from Syria's National Museum in Damascus
Historic statues and cultural objects have been removed from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, authorities report.
The theft was discovered on the start of the week, when employees reportedly found that one of the museum's doors had been broken from the interior.
The six missing statues were crafted from marble and dated back to the Roman period, an authority told the Associated Press.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had initiated an inquiry to identify the "details surrounding the theft of a group of exhibits", and that actions had been enacted to strengthen security and monitoring systems.
The director of domestic security in the Damascus region, General Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the official media as saying that security forces were examining the theft, which he said had focused on several "ancient sculptures and valuable objects".
He continued that security personnel at the facility and other persons were being questioned.
The National Museum, which was founded in 1919, holds the primary historical artifacts in the country.
It contains historical records dating back to the 14th Century BC from historical site, where evidence of the most ancient linguistic system was uncovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD classical statues from Palmyra, a significant cultural centres of the ancient world; and a third century religious building that was established at another archaeological site.
The museum was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, one year after the start of the devastating civil war. A large portion of the holdings was transferred and kept at secret locations to safeguard them.
It partially resumed in 2018 and returned to normal in January 2025, four weeks after insurgents removed President Bashar al-Assad.
All six of nationally recognized sites were damaged or partially destroyed during the conflict.
The militant faction destroyed several temples and other structures at the ancient city, stating that they were un-Islamic. The cultural organization censured the damage as a violation.
Countless cultural items were also lost or looted from dig sites and cultural institutions.
