Historic Sculptures Removed from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic sculptures and additional items have been stolen from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, sources confirm.
The theft was noticed on Monday, when museum workers allegedly found that a doorway had been damaged from the interior.
The six taken pieces were made of marble and dated back to the ancient Roman times, a source stated to 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 artifacts", and that actions had been enacted to improve protection and observation methods.
The director of domestic security in Damascus province, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the official media as saying that security forces were investigating the incident, which he said had targeted several "historical artifacts and valuable objects".
He added that security personnel at the institution and additional people were being interviewed.
The Damascus Museum, which was established in 1919, contains the most important cultural treasures in the country.
It includes clay cuneiform tablets originating to the 14th Century BC from historical site, where proof of the most ancient linguistic system was uncovered; Greco-Roman period ancient art from Palmyra, among the foremost historical locations of the classical era; and a ancient Jewish temple that was established at Dura Europos.
The museum was had to cease operations in 2012, twelve months after the start of the internal strife. The majority of the artifacts was evacuated and kept at undisclosed sites to protect them.
It partially resumed in recent years and completely reopened in January 2025, four weeks after opposition groups removed Syria's former leader.
All six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were damaged or significantly impacted during the civil war.
The militant faction demolished numerous religious structures and other structures at Palmyra, stating that they were against their beliefs. The cultural organization condemned the demolition as a war crime.
Countless cultural items were also lost or stolen from archaeological sites and collections.
