Historic Statues Stolen from Syria's National Museum in Damascus
Valuable sculptures and other artefacts have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in the capital, sources confirm.
The robbery was found on Monday, when staff apparently found that an entrance had been forced from the interior.
The six missing sculptures were marble creations and traced 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 determine the "details surrounding the loss of a group of exhibits", and that steps had been taken to strengthen security and monitoring systems.
The director of internal security in the capital area, Security Chief Atkeh, was referenced by the state-run Sana news agency as stating that authorities were probing the robbery, which he said had affected several "archaeological statues and rare collectibles".
He added that security personnel at the institution and other persons were being questioned.
The cultural institution, which was founded in the early twentieth century, contains the significant archaeological collection in Syria.
It features historical records tracing back to the ancient era from historical site, where evidence of the most ancient writing system was uncovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD ancient art from the ancient city, one of the most important ancient sites of the ancient world; and a ancient religious building that was built at another archaeological site.
The institution was forced to close in the early 2010s, one year after the beginning of the internal strife. Most of the collection was evacuated and kept at undisclosed sites to ensure their safety.
It reopened partially in 2018 and completely reopened in January 2025, a month after opposition groups overthrew the Assad regime.
Every one of nationally recognized sites were damaged or partially destroyed during the conflict.
The Islamic State group blew up multiple ancient buildings and additional edifices at Palmyra, stating that they were against their beliefs. The cultural organization denounced the destruction as a atrocity.
Numerous artefacts were also lost or looted from historical locations and museums.