Valuable Sculptures Removed from the National Museum Located in Damascus

Valuable artifacts and cultural objects have been stolen from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, officials say.

The robbery was found on Monday, when museum workers apparently found that a doorway had been damaged from the inside.

The six missing pieces were made of marble and originated to the Roman era, an authority told the news agency.

Cultural heritage officials said it had initiated an inquiry to identify the "circumstances surrounding the theft of a collection of items", and that steps had been enacted to improve protection and observation methods.

The director of domestic security in the Damascus region, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was cited by the official media as declaring that authorities were examining the incident, which he said had targeted several "archaeological statues and rare collectibles".

He noted that security personnel at the institution and additional people were being interrogated.

The cultural institution, which was founded in the early twentieth century, houses the primary archaeological collection in Syria.

It contains ancient inscribed tablets tracing back to the Bronze Age from an ancient city, where proof of the earliest complete alphabet was discovered; Greco-Roman period ancient art from historical site, one of the most important ancient sites of the historical period; and a ancient Jewish temple that was established at an ancient location.

The museum was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, a year after the outbreak of the devastating civil war. Most of the artifacts was evacuated and preserved at secure places to ensure their safety.

It began limited operations in 2018 and resumed full operations in January 2025, four weeks after opposition groups overthrew the Assad regime.

Every one of nationally recognized sites were affected or significantly impacted during the conflict.

The Islamic State group blew up several religious structures and historical sites at the archaeological site, claiming that they were against their beliefs. International authorities denounced the damage as a atrocity.

Many cultural items were also lost or looted from dig sites and museums.