Ancient Sculptures Removed from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Valuable sculptures and cultural objects have been taken from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, officials say.
The theft was discovered on Monday, when staff allegedly found that a doorway had been damaged from the interior.
The six missing statues were marble creations and dated back to the Roman period, one official stated to the media outlet.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had launched a probe to establish the "events surrounding the loss of a number of items", and that actions had been enacted to enhance protection and monitoring systems.
The chief of internal security in Damascus province, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the state-run Sana news agency as stating that law enforcement were probing the robbery, which he said had focused on several "archaeological statues and rare collectibles".
He noted that museum protectors at the institution and other persons were being interviewed.
The cultural institution, which was founded in the early twentieth century, contains the primary cultural treasures in the country.
It contains historical records dating back to the ancient era from an ancient city, where indications of the most ancient linguistic system was found; Greco-Roman period ancient art from Palmyra, among the foremost cultural centres of the historical period; and a third century synagogue that was established at another archaeological site.
The facility was forced to close in the early 2010s, twelve months after the start of the destructive conflict. The majority of the collection was transferred and preserved at secure places to protect them.
It began limited operations in recent years and completely reopened in January 2025, four weeks after rebel forces removed President Bashar al-Assad.
Every one of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were harmed or partly ruined during the civil war.
The Islamic State group blew up several temples and other structures at Palmyra, asserting that they were against their beliefs. The cultural organization censured the demolition as a atrocity.
Numerous artefacts were also lost or stolen from historical locations and collections.
