Ancient Artifacts Removed from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Valuable artifacts and cultural objects have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, officials say.
The theft was noticed on the start of the week, when employees allegedly found that an entrance had been broken from the inside.
The half-dozen taken statues were crafted from marble and traced back to the Roman era, an authority told the news agency.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had opened an investigation to establish the "circumstances surrounding the loss of a group of artifacts", and that measures had been taken to improve safeguarding and monitoring systems.
The director of internal security in the Damascus region, General Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the government press as stating that authorities were investigating the theft, which he said had affected several "historical artifacts and rare collectibles".
He noted that museum protectors at the museum and other individuals were being questioned.
The Damascus Museum, which was created in the early twentieth century, houses the primary cultural treasures in the country.
It contains ancient inscribed tablets originating to the Bronze Age from an ancient city, where proof of the earliest linguistic system was uncovered; early centuries CE classical statues from historical site, a significant cultural centres of the historical period; and a ancient religious building that was built at an ancient location.
The institution was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, twelve months after the outbreak of the devastating civil war. A large portion of the artifacts was transferred and preserved at secret locations to ensure their safety.
It reopened partially in 2018 and returned to normal in January 2025, four weeks after rebel forces removed the Assad regime.
Each of the six of nationally recognized sites were damaged or partly ruined during the civil war.
The Islamic State group blew up numerous ancient buildings and additional edifices at the archaeological site, stating that they were un-Islamic. International authorities denounced the demolition as a violation.
Numerous artefacts were also damaged or taken from dig sites and museums.
