Historic Statues Taken from the National Museum in Damascus
Valuable statues and other artefacts have been removed from Syria's National Museum in the capital, sources confirm.
The theft was discovered on Monday, when museum workers allegedly found that an entrance had been damaged from the interior.
The six taken pieces were marble creations and originated to the Roman era, a source informed the media outlet.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had initiated an inquiry to establish the "events surrounding the disappearance of a collection of artifacts", and that steps had been taken to strengthen safeguarding and monitoring systems.
The director of national security in the capital area, Security Chief Atkeh, was quoted by the state-run Sana news agency as stating that law enforcement were probing the robbery, which he said had targeted several "ancient sculptures and unique items".
He continued that security personnel at the museum and additional people were being interrogated.
The National Museum, which was established in 1919, contains the most important archaeological collection in the country.
It includes ancient inscribed tablets tracing back to the ancient era from Ugarit, where proof of the oldest known writing system was found; early centuries CE classical statues from the ancient city, among the foremost ancient sites of the historical period; and a 3rd Century AD Jewish temple that was built at another archaeological site.
The facility was forced to close in 2012, a year after the start of the devastating civil war. The majority of the collection was removed and stored at secret locations to ensure their safety.
It reopened partially in recent years and completely reopened in January 2025, one month after insurgents deposed Syria's former leader.
Every one of nationally recognized sites were damaged or significantly impacted during the civil war.
The IS organization blew up numerous temples and historical sites at Palmyra, asserting that they were un-Islamic. Unesco denounced the demolition as a war crime.
Numerous cultural items were also destroyed or taken from archaeological sites and collections.
