Valuable Statues Removed from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus

Ancient statues and additional items have been stolen from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, authorities report.

The robbery was found on Monday, when museum workers allegedly found that an entrance had been broken from the inside.

The multiple taken sculptures were crafted from marble and dated back to the ancient Roman times, a source told the media outlet.

Cultural heritage officials said it had initiated an inquiry to establish the "details surrounding the theft of a collection of exhibits", and that measures had been implemented to enhance protection and monitoring systems.

The head of internal security in the capital area, General Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the state-run Sana news agency as stating that law enforcement were examining the incident, which he said had affected several "archaeological statues and rare collectibles".

He continued that security personnel at the institution and other persons were being questioned.

The Damascus Museum, which was founded in the early twentieth century, holds the primary historical artifacts in the country.

It contains clay cuneiform tablets dating back to the 14th Century BC from historical site, where proof of the oldest known complete alphabet was discovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD classical statues from the ancient city, a significant cultural centres of the classical era; and a third century Jewish temple that was built at Dura Europos.

The facility was forced to close in the early 2010s, twelve months after the outbreak of the devastating civil war. A large portion of the artifacts was transferred and kept at undisclosed sites to protect them.

It reopened partially in recent years and completely reopened in January 2025, one month after insurgents removed President Bashar al-Assad.

Every one of the country's cultural landmarks were damaged or partly ruined during the conflict.

The Islamic State group destroyed numerous temples and historical sites at Palmyra, asserting that they were against their beliefs. International authorities denounced the damage as a atrocity.

Numerous historical objects were also lost or stolen from archaeological sites and cultural institutions.