Historic Sculptures Taken from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic statues and additional items have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, officials say.
The robbery was noticed on Monday, when employees apparently found that one of the museum's doors had been damaged from the interior.
The multiple stolen sculptures were made of marble and dated back to the ancient Roman times, an authority told the news agency.
Cultural heritage officials said it had initiated an inquiry to identify the "events surrounding the theft of a number of exhibits", and that actions had been implemented to strengthen security and monitoring systems.
The chief of domestic security in Damascus province, Security Chief Atkeh, was cited by the official media as declaring that law enforcement were probing the incident, which he said had focused on several "ancient sculptures and valuable objects".
He added that museum protectors at the institution and other individuals were being questioned.
The National Museum, which was founded in 1919, contains the significant historical artifacts in the country.
It features historical records tracing back to the 14th Century BC from historical site, where indications of the earliest writing system was found; Greco-Roman period Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, one of the most important ancient sites of the classical era; and a ancient religious building that was built at an ancient location.
The institution was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, a year after the outbreak of the devastating civil war. A large portion of the holdings was transferred and preserved at secret locations to safeguard them.
It began limited operations in 2018 and completely reopened in January 2025, one month after opposition groups deposed Syria's former leader.
Each of the six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were damaged or significantly impacted during the internal struggle.
The IS organization blew up multiple ancient buildings and additional edifices at the ancient city, asserting that they were un-Islamic. Unesco condemned the destruction as a atrocity.
Numerous historical objects were also destroyed or stolen from dig sites and cultural institutions.
