Valuable Statues Removed from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Valuable sculptures and additional items have been removed from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, authorities report.
The burglary was found on Monday, when museum workers reportedly found that a doorway had been broken from the interior.
The half-dozen stolen statues were crafted from marble and traced back to the Roman era, an authority stated to the Associated Press.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had initiated an inquiry to determine the "details surrounding the disappearance of a number of items", and that actions had been implemented to strengthen safeguarding and monitoring systems.
The head of domestic security in Damascus province, General Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the state-run Sana news agency as saying that law enforcement were probing the incident, which he said had affected several "historical artifacts and rare collectibles".
He noted that security personnel at the museum and other individuals were being interrogated.
The cultural institution, which was created in 1919, holds the significant cultural treasures in Syria.
It features ancient inscribed tablets dating back to the 14th Century BC from Ugarit, where evidence of the most ancient linguistic system was found; Greco-Roman period ancient art from the ancient city, among the foremost ancient sites of the ancient world; and a third century Jewish temple that was constructed at Dura Europos.
The facility was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, twelve months after the outbreak of the devastating civil war. Most of the holdings was transferred and stored at secure places to safeguard them.
It reopened partially in recent years and returned to normal in January 2025, one month after rebel forces deposed Syria's former leader.
Every one of the country's cultural landmarks were affected or partially destroyed during the civil war.
The IS organization demolished numerous ancient buildings and historical sites at Palmyra, stating that they were against their beliefs. The cultural organization censured the damage as a atrocity.
Many artefacts were also damaged or stolen from dig sites and collections.