Historic Sculptures Stolen from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Valuable sculptures and other artefacts have been taken from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, authorities report.
The theft was found on Monday, when staff reportedly found that an entrance had been broken from the interior.
The half-dozen missing pieces were marble creations and traced back to the Roman era, an authority told the Associated Press.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had launched a probe to establish the "events surrounding the loss of a collection of items", and that steps had been enacted to strengthen protection and observation methods.
The director of internal security in the Damascus region, Security Chief Atkeh, was quoted by the government press as stating that security forces were probing the robbery, which he said had targeted several "archaeological statues and unique items".
He added that guards at the facility and other persons were being questioned.
The National Museum, which was founded in 1919, contains the significant historical artifacts in the country.
It includes ancient inscribed tablets originating to the ancient era from Ugarit, where evidence of the most ancient writing system was uncovered; Greco-Roman period ancient art from Palmyra, among the foremost historical locations of the classical era; and a ancient religious building that was constructed at another archaeological site.
The institution was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, a year after the start of the devastating civil war. Most of the collection was evacuated and stored at secure places to protect them.
It partially resumed in 2018 and returned to normal in January 2025, one month after insurgents deposed President Bashar al-Assad.
Each of the six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were harmed or partially destroyed during the conflict.
The IS organization destroyed several religious structures and other structures at the ancient city, asserting that they were against their beliefs. The cultural organization censured the damage as a violation.
Countless artefacts were also lost or stolen from archaeological sites and museums.
