Historic Artifacts Taken from Syria's National Museum in Damascus
Valuable artifacts and additional items have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in the capital, officials say.
The theft was found on the start of the week, when employees apparently found that a doorway had been damaged from the inside.
The multiple taken pieces were crafted from marble and originated to the Roman period, a source told the Associated Press.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had initiated an inquiry to establish the "events surrounding the loss of a collection of items", and that measures had been enacted to enhance security and observation methods.
The chief of domestic security in Damascus province, Security Chief Atkeh, was referenced by the government press as saying that security forces were probing the robbery, which he said had targeted several "ancient sculptures and unique items".
He continued that museum protectors at the museum and other individuals were being interrogated.
The National Museum, which was founded in the early twentieth century, houses the primary historical artifacts in Syria.
It features historical records originating to the ancient era from historical site, where evidence of the earliest writing system was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD Greco-Roman sculptures from Palmyra, among the foremost cultural centres of the classical era; and a ancient religious building that was built at an ancient location.
The museum was compelled to shut in 2012, twelve months after the start of the destructive conflict. The majority of the collection was evacuated and kept at secret locations to safeguard them.
It began limited operations in 2018 and completely reopened in January 2025, one month after opposition groups deposed Syria's former leader.
Every one of the country's cultural landmarks were damaged or partially destroyed during the civil war.
The IS organization blew up several ancient buildings and additional edifices at the archaeological site, asserting that they were against their beliefs. Unesco condemned the damage as a war crime.
Many historical objects were also damaged or stolen from archaeological sites and museums.
