Ancient Statues Removed from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic sculptures and other artefacts have been stolen from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, sources confirm.
The theft was noticed on the start of the week, when employees apparently found that a doorway had been forced from the inside.
The six taken sculptures were crafted from marble and dated back to the Roman period, a source stated to the media outlet.
Cultural heritage officials said it had opened an investigation to identify the "events surrounding the loss of a number of items", and that steps had been taken to strengthen security and observation methods.
The head of national security in the capital area, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was cited by the official media as stating that law enforcement were examining the incident, which he said had targeted several "archaeological statues and rare collectibles".
He added that security personnel at the institution and other persons were being interrogated.
The National Museum, which was created in the early twentieth century, holds the primary cultural treasures in the country.
It includes historical records originating to the ancient era from an ancient city, where evidence of the most ancient complete alphabet was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD classical statues from the ancient city, one of the most important cultural centres of the ancient world; and a 3rd Century AD synagogue that was established at another archaeological site.
The facility was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, a year after the beginning of the destructive conflict. Most of the collection was removed and kept at undisclosed sites to protect them.
It began limited operations in 2018 and completely reopened in January 2025, a month after opposition groups overthrew the Assad regime.
All six of nationally recognized sites were affected or partly ruined during the civil war.
The IS organization demolished several ancient buildings and other structures at the ancient city, stating that they were idolatrous. Unesco denounced the damage as a war crime.
Many historical objects were also lost or taken from historical locations and cultural institutions.
