Historic Sculptures Stolen from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Valuable sculptures and other artefacts have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, officials say.
The robbery was discovered on the start of the week, when museum workers apparently found that one of the museum's doors had been damaged from the inside.
The multiple taken pieces were made of marble and dated back to the Roman period, an authority informed the Associated Press.
Cultural heritage officials said it had launched a probe to establish the "events surrounding the disappearance of a collection of artifacts", and that steps had been implemented to strengthen safeguarding and surveillance.
The chief of national security in the capital area, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the official media as stating that law enforcement were examining the incident, which he said had focused on several "ancient sculptures and unique items".
He added that guards at the institution and additional people were being interviewed.
The cultural institution, which was established in 1919, contains the significant cultural treasures in Syria.
It includes historical records dating back to the 14th Century BC from an ancient city, where evidence of the oldest known complete alphabet was uncovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD ancient art from historical site, among the foremost ancient sites of the ancient world; and a 3rd Century AD religious building that was constructed at Dura Europos.
The museum was forced to close in 2012, twelve months after the start of the destructive conflict. The majority of the collection was removed and kept at undisclosed sites to safeguard them.
It partially resumed in 2018 and resumed full operations in January 2025, a month after rebel forces removed the Assad regime.
Every one of the country's cultural landmarks were damaged or partly ruined during the internal struggle.
The IS organization blew up numerous ancient buildings and historical sites at Palmyra, stating that they were against their beliefs. Unesco censured the damage as a violation.
Many cultural items were also lost or looted from archaeological sites and cultural institutions.