Historic Statues Stolen from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Ancient sculptures and other artefacts have been taken from Syria's National Museum in the capital, officials say.
The burglary was found on the start of the week, when museum workers allegedly found that an entrance had been damaged from the inside.
The half-dozen stolen pieces were marble creations and originated to the Roman period, a source stated to the news agency.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had opened an investigation to identify the "circumstances surrounding the theft of a number of artifacts", and that measures had been enacted to improve safeguarding and surveillance.
The director of internal security in the capital area, General Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the government press as saying that law enforcement were examining the theft, which he said had focused on several "historical artifacts and rare collectibles".
He added that museum protectors at the facility and other individuals were being interviewed.
The National Museum, which was created in the early twentieth century, houses the primary cultural treasures in the country.
It features clay cuneiform tablets tracing back to the Bronze Age from Ugarit, where evidence of the earliest complete alphabet was discovered; early centuries CE Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, among the foremost ancient sites of the historical period; and a third century religious building that was constructed at an ancient location.
The institution was had to cease operations in 2012, twelve months after the start of the devastating civil war. A large portion of the collection was transferred and preserved at undisclosed sites to protect them.
It reopened partially in recent years and returned to normal in January 2025, a month after rebel forces overthrew President Bashar al-Assad.
Each of the six of nationally recognized sites were affected or partly ruined during the conflict.
The militant faction destroyed several temples and additional edifices at the archaeological site, asserting that they were idolatrous. The cultural organization denounced the demolition as a violation.
Many historical objects were also lost or stolen from dig sites and collections.
