Valuable Artifacts Stolen from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Valuable sculptures and cultural objects have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, officials say.
The theft was discovered on Monday, when museum workers allegedly found that an entrance had been forced from the interior.
The six stolen statues were made of marble and traced back to the Roman era, a source stated to the Associated Press.
Cultural heritage officials said it had launched a probe to identify the "details surrounding the disappearance of a collection of artifacts", and that measures had been implemented to strengthen protection and observation methods.
The director of domestic security in Damascus province, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the state-run Sana news agency as stating that security forces were probing the theft, which he said had focused on several "historical artifacts and valuable objects".
He added that security personnel at the museum and additional people were being interrogated.
The Damascus Museum, which was established in the early twentieth century, contains the significant historical artifacts in Syria.
It includes historical records dating back to the Bronze Age from Ugarit, where evidence of the most ancient linguistic system was discovered; early centuries CE classical statues from historical site, a significant historical locations of the classical era; and a third century Jewish temple that was established at another archaeological site.
The facility was had to cease operations in 2012, one year after the beginning of the devastating civil war. The majority of the collection was removed and kept at secure places to safeguard them.
It reopened partially in recent years and returned to normal in January 2025, four weeks after opposition groups deposed Syria's former leader.
Every one of the country's cultural landmarks were harmed or partially destroyed during the civil war.
The Islamic State group destroyed several religious structures and historical sites at the archaeological site, claiming that they were idolatrous. The cultural organization denounced the demolition as a violation.
Numerous historical objects were also destroyed or taken from dig sites and collections.
