Valuable Statues Removed from the National Museum in Damascus
Valuable artifacts and other artefacts have been taken from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, officials say.
The robbery was discovered on the start of the week, when museum workers apparently found that one of the museum's doors had been forced from the inside.
The half-dozen missing statues were marble creations and originated to the Roman period, an authority stated to the news agency.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had opened an investigation to identify the "events surrounding the disappearance of a number of exhibits", and that measures had been implemented to improve protection and monitoring systems.
The head of domestic security in the capital area, General Osama Atkeh, was cited by the official media as declaring that law enforcement were probing the robbery, which he said had affected several "ancient sculptures and unique items".
He added that guards at the institution and other persons were being questioned.
The cultural institution, which was founded in the early twentieth century, houses the primary cultural treasures in the country.
It contains ancient inscribed tablets dating back to the Bronze Age from historical site, where evidence of the most ancient complete alphabet was discovered; Greco-Roman period classical statues from Palmyra, a significant historical locations of the ancient world; and a third century synagogue that was established at Dura Europos.
The institution was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, twelve months after the outbreak of the devastating civil war. The majority of the artifacts was removed and kept at secure places to safeguard them.
It began limited operations in 2018 and returned to normal in January 2025, a month after rebel forces deposed President Bashar al-Assad.
Each of the six of the country's cultural landmarks were damaged or significantly impacted during the conflict.
The Islamic State group blew up numerous religious structures and additional edifices at Palmyra, asserting that they were idolatrous. International authorities denounced the damage as a atrocity.
Many cultural items were also damaged or taken from historical locations and collections.
