Historic Sculptures Stolen from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Ancient artifacts and other artefacts have been removed from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, officials say.
The theft was found on the start of the week, when staff reportedly found that a doorway had been forced from the inside.
The half-dozen stolen statues were marble creations and traced back to the Roman period, one official told the Associated Press.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had opened an investigation to establish the "circumstances surrounding the disappearance of a number of exhibits", and that actions had been implemented to strengthen protection and observation methods.
The director of domestic security in the capital area, Security Chief Atkeh, was referenced by the state-run Sana news agency as declaring that authorities were probing the robbery, which he said had affected several "ancient sculptures and valuable objects".
He added that guards at the museum and other individuals were being interviewed.
The Damascus Museum, which was created in 1919, holds the primary archaeological collection in the country.
It contains historical records tracing back to the 14th Century BC from Ugarit, where proof of the most ancient complete alphabet was discovered; early centuries CE ancient art from the ancient city, among the foremost historical locations of the classical era; and a 3rd Century AD Jewish temple that was constructed at Dura Europos.
The facility was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, twelve months after the start of the devastating civil war. The majority of the artifacts was removed and preserved at secret locations to protect them.
It partially resumed in 2018 and returned to normal in January 2025, a month after opposition groups deposed the Assad regime.
Each of the six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were harmed or significantly impacted during the internal struggle.
The militant faction destroyed several religious structures and historical sites at the ancient city, asserting that they were idolatrous. The cultural organization denounced the damage as a atrocity.
Countless artefacts were also lost or stolen from archaeological sites and cultural institutions.
