Historic Artifacts Removed from the National Museum in Damascus
Historic artifacts and other artefacts have been taken from Syria's National Museum in the capital, sources confirm.
The burglary was found on the start of the week, when employees apparently found that a doorway had been damaged from the inside.
The multiple missing pieces were marble creations and originated to the Roman period, one official informed the news agency.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had launched a probe to establish the "events surrounding the disappearance of a collection of exhibits", and that measures had been taken to strengthen protection and observation methods.
The chief of domestic security in the capital area, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the state-run Sana news agency as declaring that security forces were investigating the theft, which he said had affected several "ancient sculptures and valuable objects".
He noted that security personnel at the museum and other individuals were being interviewed.
The Damascus Museum, which was created in 1919, holds the primary cultural treasures in Syria.
It contains clay cuneiform tablets originating to the 14th Century BC from historical site, where indications of the oldest known complete alphabet was found; early centuries CE ancient art from the ancient city, among the foremost historical locations of the classical era; and a 3rd Century AD religious building that was established at an ancient location.
The museum was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, a year after the start of the internal strife. A large portion of the collection was removed and stored at undisclosed sites to safeguard them.
It reopened partially in 2018 and completely reopened in January 2025, a month after insurgents deposed the Assad regime.
Every one of the country's cultural landmarks were affected or partly ruined during the civil war.
The IS organization destroyed several temples and historical sites at the archaeological site, claiming that they were un-Islamic. International authorities censured the destruction as a violation.
Countless historical objects were also destroyed or taken from historical locations and collections.
