Ancient Statues Stolen from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Ancient artifacts and other artefacts have been taken from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, authorities report.
The burglary was noticed on Monday, when museum workers reportedly found that an entrance had been damaged from the inside.
The six missing statues were crafted from marble and traced back to the ancient Roman times, a source told the Associated Press.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had launched a probe to determine the "circumstances surrounding the disappearance of a number of items", and that steps had been taken to improve security and monitoring systems.
The head of internal security in Damascus province, General Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the state-run Sana news agency as declaring that security forces were probing the robbery, which he said had focused on several "archaeological statues and unique items".
He added that guards at the institution and additional people were being interrogated.
The National Museum, which was established in the early twentieth century, contains the most important cultural treasures in the country.
It features historical records originating to the ancient era from historical site, where evidence of the most ancient complete alphabet was discovered; Greco-Roman period Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, among the foremost cultural centres of the classical era; and a ancient synagogue that was established at an ancient location.
The museum was compelled to shut in 2012, one year after the start of the internal strife. A large portion of the artifacts was removed and preserved at secret locations to protect them.
It partially resumed in recent years and completely reopened in January 2025, a month after insurgents deposed Syria's former leader.
Every one of the country's cultural landmarks were harmed or significantly impacted during the civil war.
The IS organization demolished several religious structures and other structures at the ancient city, claiming that they were against their beliefs. The cultural organization denounced the destruction as a atrocity.
Many historical objects were also damaged or taken from dig sites and cultural institutions.
