Ancient Artifacts Stolen from the National Museum in Damascus
Valuable sculptures and other artefacts have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, sources confirm.
The burglary was discovered on the start of the week, when staff allegedly found that an entrance had been forced from the interior.
The half-dozen stolen pieces were crafted from marble and dated back to the Roman period, a source informed the Associated Press.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had initiated an inquiry to establish the "details surrounding the theft of a collection of exhibits", and that actions had been enacted to enhance safeguarding and observation methods.
The director of internal security in the Damascus region, Security Chief Atkeh, was cited by the official media as saying that security forces were probing the robbery, which he said had affected several "archaeological statues and rare collectibles".
He continued that guards at the museum and other individuals were being interrogated.
The National Museum, which was established in the early twentieth century, contains the most important archaeological collection in Syria.
It features clay cuneiform tablets tracing back to the 14th Century BC from Ugarit, where indications of the oldest known linguistic system was discovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD ancient art from the ancient city, one of the most important cultural centres of the historical period; and a ancient religious building that was constructed at an ancient location.
The institution was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, one year after the start of the destructive conflict. Most of the artifacts was transferred and preserved at undisclosed sites to protect them.
It began limited operations in recent years and resumed full operations in January 2025, four weeks after insurgents overthrew President Bashar al-Assad.
Every one of nationally recognized sites were damaged or partially destroyed during the internal struggle.
The Islamic State group demolished numerous temples and historical sites at the archaeological site, claiming that they were idolatrous. International authorities censured the damage as a violation.
Countless artefacts were also lost or stolen from dig sites and museums.
