Historic Artifacts Stolen from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic sculptures and additional items have been stolen from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, officials say.
The burglary was discovered on the start of the week, when museum workers allegedly found that an entrance had been forced from the interior.
The half-dozen missing sculptures were marble creations and originated to the Roman period, a source stated to the news agency.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had launched a probe to determine the "circumstances surrounding the loss of a number of items", and that actions had been taken to improve safeguarding and monitoring systems.
The head of national security in Damascus province, Security Chief Atkeh, was referenced by the government press as declaring that security forces were probing the incident, which he said had focused on several "archaeological statues and rare collectibles".
He continued that museum protectors at the museum and other persons were being interrogated.
The Damascus Museum, which was created in 1919, houses the significant historical artifacts in the country.
It features ancient inscribed tablets dating back to the Bronze Age from an ancient city, where proof of the oldest known linguistic system was uncovered; early centuries CE classical statues from historical site, one of the most important historical locations of the historical period; and a third century Jewish temple that was constructed at an ancient location.
The institution was forced to close in 2012, one year after the outbreak of the internal strife. Most of the artifacts was removed and preserved at secret locations to safeguard them.
It partially resumed in recent years and completely reopened in January 2025, one month after opposition groups removed President Bashar al-Assad.
Every one of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were affected or partly ruined during the internal struggle.
The Islamic State group destroyed numerous temples and historical sites at the ancient city, asserting that they were against their beliefs. Unesco condemned the demolition as a war crime.
Numerous cultural items were also damaged or looted from dig sites and cultural institutions.
