Ancient Sculptures Taken from the National Museum in Damascus
Historic statues and additional items have been taken from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, sources confirm.
The burglary was discovered on Monday, when employees allegedly found that one of the museum's doors had been damaged from the interior.
The half-dozen missing sculptures were crafted from marble and traced back to the Roman era, a source told the media outlet.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had opened an investigation to identify the "events surrounding the theft of a collection of items", and that measures had been taken to improve safeguarding and observation methods.
The chief of national security in the capital area, General Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the government press as declaring that authorities were investigating the robbery, which he said had focused on several "ancient sculptures and unique items".
He noted that guards at the institution and other persons were being questioned.
The cultural institution, which was founded in 1919, holds the primary historical artifacts in Syria.
It features historical records originating to the Bronze Age from Ugarit, where indications of the oldest known writing system was found; Greco-Roman period Greco-Roman sculptures from Palmyra, one of the most important historical locations of the ancient world; and a 3rd Century AD Jewish temple that was constructed at another archaeological site.
The museum was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, a year after the outbreak of the internal strife. The majority of the holdings was evacuated and preserved at undisclosed sites to protect them.
It reopened partially in 2018 and returned to normal in January 2025, one month after opposition groups deposed President Bashar al-Assad.
Each of the six of the country's cultural landmarks were harmed or partially destroyed during the internal struggle.
The militant faction demolished several temples and historical sites at the archaeological site, claiming that they were un-Islamic. Unesco censured the destruction as a violation.
Many artefacts were also destroyed or taken from historical locations and museums.
