Valuable Sculptures Removed from Syria's National Museum in Damascus

Valuable artifacts and other artefacts have been removed from Syria's National Museum in the capital, authorities report.

The burglary was noticed on Monday, when staff reportedly found that a doorway had been broken from the interior.

The six stolen pieces were made of marble and traced back to the Roman period, one official stated to the media outlet.

Cultural heritage officials said it had launched a probe to identify the "details surrounding the disappearance of a group of items", and that measures had been implemented to improve security and observation methods.

The chief of domestic security in the Damascus region, Security Chief Atkeh, was referenced by the government press as declaring that security forces were probing the theft, which he said had focused on several "archaeological statues and unique items".

He noted that museum protectors at the museum and other individuals were being interrogated.

The Damascus Museum, which was established in the early twentieth century, houses the primary cultural treasures in the country.

It features clay cuneiform tablets dating back to the Bronze Age from an ancient city, where indications of the most ancient complete alphabet was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD classical statues from the ancient city, one of the most important historical locations of the ancient world; and a ancient synagogue that was constructed at an ancient location.

The institution was forced to close in 2012, a year after the start of the internal strife. Most of the artifacts was removed and stored at secret locations to safeguard them.

It reopened partially in 2018 and resumed full operations in January 2025, a month after insurgents removed the Assad regime.

Every one of nationally recognized sites were harmed or partially destroyed during the conflict.

The IS organization destroyed multiple temples and additional edifices at Palmyra, stating that they were un-Islamic. The cultural organization censured the destruction as a war crime.

Countless cultural items were also destroyed or taken from archaeological sites and collections.