Valuable Sculptures Removed from the National Museum in Damascus
Ancient sculptures and cultural objects have been taken from Syria's National Museum in the capital, authorities report.
The theft was found on the start of the week, when staff apparently found that a doorway had been damaged from the interior.
The multiple missing sculptures were crafted from marble and traced back to the Roman era, an authority stated to the media outlet.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had launched a probe to determine the "circumstances surrounding the disappearance of a number of artifacts", and that steps had been enacted to improve security and observation methods.
The chief of domestic security in the Damascus region, General Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the state-run Sana news agency as declaring that security forces were examining the incident, which he said had targeted several "historical artifacts and unique items".
He continued that guards at the institution and additional people were being interviewed.
The cultural institution, which was founded in 1919, holds the most important historical artifacts in the country.
It includes clay cuneiform tablets tracing back to the Bronze Age from Ugarit, where indications of the most ancient complete alphabet was uncovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD classical statues from Palmyra, one of the most important cultural centres of the ancient world; and a 3rd Century AD synagogue that was established at an ancient location.
The facility was forced to close in 2012, a year after the start of the internal strife. A large portion of the artifacts was removed and stored at secret locations to safeguard them.
It reopened partially in recent years and completely reopened in January 2025, four weeks after insurgents removed the Assad regime.
Every one of the country's cultural landmarks were affected or significantly impacted during the conflict.
The IS organization destroyed numerous ancient buildings and historical sites at Palmyra, stating that they were against their beliefs. Unesco condemned the damage as a atrocity.
Many cultural items were also destroyed or looted from archaeological sites and cultural institutions.
