Valuable Artifacts Taken from the National Museum in Damascus
Ancient artifacts and additional items have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, sources confirm.
The burglary was found on Monday, when employees apparently found that an entrance had been forced from the interior.
The six stolen pieces were made of marble and originated to the ancient Roman times, one official stated to the news agency.
Cultural heritage officials said it had initiated an inquiry to identify the "circumstances surrounding the theft of a group of exhibits", and that measures had been taken to strengthen protection and monitoring systems.
The head of domestic security in the Damascus region, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the official media as saying that security forces were probing the incident, which he said had targeted several "historical artifacts and rare collectibles".
He noted that museum protectors at the facility and other individuals were being questioned.
The National Museum, which was established in 1919, contains the most important historical artifacts in the country.
It contains historical records tracing back to the 14th Century BC from Ugarit, where evidence of the oldest known writing system was uncovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD Greco-Roman sculptures from Palmyra, a significant ancient sites of the ancient world; and a 3rd Century AD synagogue that was built at another archaeological site.
The museum was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, a year after the outbreak of the destructive conflict. The majority of the artifacts was removed and kept at secure places to safeguard them.
It began limited operations in recent years and returned to normal in January 2025, one month after opposition groups overthrew the Assad regime.
Every one of nationally recognized sites were damaged or partly ruined during the conflict.
The IS organization destroyed multiple ancient buildings and other structures at the ancient city, stating that they were idolatrous. International authorities condemned the destruction as a atrocity.
Many artefacts were also damaged or stolen from archaeological sites and collections.
