Historic Artifacts Taken from the National Museum in Damascus
Ancient sculptures and additional items have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, officials say.
The burglary was noticed on Monday, when staff allegedly found that one of the museum's doors had been forced from the inside.
The multiple stolen sculptures were crafted from marble and originated to the Roman era, a source informed the news agency.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had initiated an inquiry to determine the "circumstances surrounding the theft of a number of exhibits", and that steps had been enacted to strengthen security and monitoring systems.
The head of national security in the capital area, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the government press as declaring that authorities were investigating the incident, which he said had focused on several "historical artifacts and valuable objects".
He noted that guards at the institution and additional people were being interviewed.
The National Museum, which was established in the early twentieth century, houses the most important cultural treasures in Syria.
It contains historical records originating to the 14th Century BC from an ancient city, where evidence of the oldest known writing system was discovered; early centuries CE classical statues from Palmyra, a significant cultural centres of the historical period; and a ancient Jewish temple that was established at an ancient location.
The museum was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, a year after the start of the destructive conflict. Most of the holdings was transferred and kept at undisclosed sites to ensure their safety.
It reopened partially in recent years and resumed full operations in January 2025, four weeks after opposition groups removed President Bashar al-Assad.
All six of the country's cultural landmarks were damaged or partly ruined during the conflict.
The IS organization destroyed several religious structures and historical sites at the ancient city, stating that they were un-Islamic. The cultural organization denounced the damage as a war crime.
Numerous artefacts were also destroyed or taken from archaeological sites and museums.
