Ancient Statues Removed from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Ancient statues and cultural objects have been taken from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, officials say.
The theft was discovered on the start of the week, when staff apparently 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 period, an authority told the Associated Press.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had initiated an inquiry to identify the "events surrounding the loss of a collection of artifacts", and that actions had been implemented to enhance safeguarding and monitoring systems.
The head of internal security in Damascus province, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was cited by the official media as declaring that law enforcement were investigating the incident, which he said had affected several "archaeological statues and rare collectibles".
He noted that guards at the facility and other persons were being interviewed.
The cultural institution, which was established in 1919, houses the significant archaeological collection in the country.
It includes ancient inscribed tablets originating to the Bronze Age from an ancient city, where proof of the most ancient writing system was discovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD Greco-Roman sculptures from the ancient city, a significant ancient sites of the classical era; and a 3rd Century AD synagogue that was constructed at an ancient location.
The institution was forced to close in 2012, a year after the start of the destructive conflict. A large portion of the holdings was evacuated and preserved at undisclosed sites to safeguard them.
It reopened partially in 2018 and completely reopened in January 2025, one month after insurgents deposed the Assad regime.
All six of nationally recognized sites were damaged or partially destroyed during the civil war.
The Islamic State group demolished multiple temples and additional edifices at the ancient city, claiming that they were against their beliefs. The cultural organization denounced the damage as a atrocity.
Numerous cultural items were also destroyed or looted from dig sites and cultural institutions.
