Historic Artifacts Taken from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Valuable artifacts and other artefacts have been removed from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, officials say.
The burglary was discovered on the start of the week, when employees reportedly found that one of the museum's doors had been forced from the inside.
The multiple taken sculptures were crafted from marble and originated to the ancient Roman times, one official stated to the news agency.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had opened an investigation to determine the "events surrounding the theft of a number of items", and that steps had been implemented to strengthen safeguarding and observation methods.
The chief of domestic security in Damascus province, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was cited by the state-run Sana news agency as saying that authorities were examining the robbery, which he said had affected several "historical artifacts and valuable objects".
He continued that guards at the institution and other persons were being interviewed.
The National Museum, which was established in 1919, holds the most important historical artifacts in the country.
It features historical records tracing back to the ancient era from Ugarit, where evidence of the most ancient linguistic system was discovered; early centuries CE Greco-Roman sculptures from the ancient city, one of the most important cultural centres of the historical period; and a ancient synagogue that was built at Dura Europos.
The facility was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, one year after the outbreak of the internal strife. A large portion of the collection was transferred and kept at secure places to safeguard them.
It partially resumed in 2018 and returned to normal in January 2025, four weeks after opposition groups overthrew Syria's former leader.
Every one of nationally recognized sites were harmed or partially destroyed during the conflict.
The militant faction blew up several religious structures and other structures at the archaeological site, asserting that they were idolatrous. The cultural organization condemned the damage as a war crime.
Numerous cultural items were also destroyed or looted from dig sites and museums.
