Valuable Statues Taken from the National Museum Located in Damascus

Ancient artifacts and additional items have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, authorities report.

The theft was discovered on the start of the week, when staff apparently found that a doorway had been forced from the inside.

The half-dozen stolen pieces were made of marble and originated to the Roman era, a source informed the Associated Press.

Cultural heritage officials said it had opened an investigation to establish the "events surrounding the theft of a number of exhibits", and that measures had been implemented to improve security and observation methods.

The head of national security in the Damascus region, General Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the state-run Sana news agency as saying that law enforcement were probing the theft, which he said had targeted several "ancient sculptures and valuable objects".

He added that museum protectors at the facility and other individuals were being interrogated.

The cultural institution, which was created in 1919, holds the significant archaeological collection in the country.

It contains ancient inscribed tablets dating back to the Bronze Age from historical site, where evidence of the most ancient complete alphabet was discovered; early centuries CE classical statues from historical site, among the foremost ancient sites of the historical period; and a 3rd Century AD religious building that was constructed at another archaeological site.

The institution was forced to close in 2012, a year after the start of the internal strife. Most of the collection was evacuated and stored at secret locations to protect them.

It reopened partially in 2018 and returned to normal in January 2025, four weeks after insurgents overthrew Syria's former leader.

Each of the six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were harmed or partly ruined during the civil war.

The militant faction blew up several temples and additional edifices at the ancient city, claiming that they were against their beliefs. Unesco censured the destruction as a atrocity.

Many artefacts were also lost or looted from archaeological sites and collections.