Ancient Statues Stolen from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Valuable sculptures and additional items have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, officials say.
The robbery was found on Monday, when employees allegedly found that an entrance had been damaged from the inside.
The six stolen pieces were marble creations and originated to the Roman period, an authority stated to the media outlet.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had initiated an inquiry to determine the "details surrounding the theft of a number of exhibits", and that steps had been implemented to strengthen security and monitoring systems.
The head of internal security in the Damascus region, Security Chief Atkeh, was referenced by the government press as saying that security forces were investigating the theft, which he said had affected several "archaeological statues and unique items".
He added that security personnel at the facility and additional people were being interviewed.
The National Museum, which was founded in the early twentieth century, houses the most important historical artifacts in Syria.
It includes historical records dating back to the Bronze Age from historical site, where proof of the earliest linguistic system was uncovered; Greco-Roman period ancient art from historical site, one of the most important cultural centres of the ancient world; and a third century Jewish temple that was built at Dura Europos.
The facility was forced to close in the early 2010s, a year after the beginning of the destructive conflict. The majority of the holdings was transferred and stored at undisclosed sites to protect them.
It partially resumed in recent years and returned to normal in January 2025, a month after rebel forces removed President Bashar al-Assad.
Every one of the country's cultural landmarks were affected or significantly impacted during the conflict.
The IS organization demolished numerous ancient buildings and historical sites at Palmyra, asserting that they were against their beliefs. International authorities denounced the damage as a war crime.
Many artefacts were also destroyed or taken from dig sites and cultural institutions.
