Valuable Sculptures Removed from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Valuable sculptures and additional items have been removed from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, authorities report.
The theft was discovered on the start of the week, when employees allegedly found that a doorway had been broken from the interior.
The half-dozen missing sculptures were marble creations and dated back to the Roman era, a source told the news agency.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had opened an investigation to establish the "circumstances surrounding the disappearance of a collection of exhibits", and that actions had been implemented to enhance protection and observation methods.
The director of domestic security in the capital area, General Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the state-run Sana news agency as saying that authorities were investigating the robbery, which he said had targeted several "ancient sculptures and valuable objects".
He added that security personnel at the museum and additional people were being questioned.
The cultural institution, which was established in the early twentieth century, contains the significant archaeological collection in Syria.
It features historical records originating to the Bronze Age from Ugarit, where evidence of the oldest known writing system was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, one of the most important cultural centres of the classical era; and a third century religious building that was established at Dura Europos.
The facility was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, a year after the beginning of the destructive conflict. A large portion of the holdings was evacuated and preserved at secret locations to ensure their safety.
It began limited operations in 2018 and completely reopened in January 2025, a month after insurgents removed the Assad regime.
Each of the six of the country's cultural landmarks were affected or significantly impacted during the conflict.
The IS organization blew up multiple religious structures and other structures at Palmyra, asserting that they were un-Islamic. The cultural organization denounced the damage as a atrocity.
Numerous cultural items were also damaged or stolen from historical locations and collections.
