Ancient Statues Removed from the National Museum Located in Damascus

Valuable artifacts and additional items have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, authorities report.

The theft was found on Monday, when museum workers allegedly found that one of the museum's doors had been damaged from the interior.

The half-dozen missing sculptures were made of marble and traced back to the Roman era, a source informed the Associated Press.

Cultural heritage officials said it had opened an investigation to determine the "events surrounding the theft of a group of artifacts", and that actions had been implemented to improve safeguarding and observation methods.

The head of domestic security in the Damascus region, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the official media as saying that authorities were examining the incident, which he said had targeted several "archaeological statues and valuable objects".

He continued that museum protectors at the institution and additional people were being interviewed.

The cultural institution, which was established in the early twentieth century, contains the significant cultural treasures in Syria.

It includes ancient inscribed tablets tracing back to the ancient era from an ancient city, where evidence of the most ancient complete alphabet was uncovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD Greco-Roman sculptures from the ancient city, a significant historical locations of the classical era; and a ancient religious building that was established at another archaeological site.

The museum was had to cease operations in 2012, one year after the outbreak of the devastating civil war. Most of the artifacts was evacuated and stored at secret locations to safeguard them.

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 destroyed several religious structures and historical sites at the archaeological site, claiming that they were against their beliefs. The cultural organization condemned the demolition as a violation.

Numerous historical objects were also destroyed or taken from archaeological sites and cultural institutions.