Valuable Artifacts Taken from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus

Historic statues and additional items have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, sources confirm.

The burglary was found on the start of the week, when staff apparently found that an entrance had been forced from the interior.

The half-dozen missing sculptures were marble creations and dated back to the Roman period, one official stated to the Associated Press.

The nation's antiquities authority said it had initiated an inquiry to identify the "details surrounding the loss of a collection of items", and that steps had been implemented to improve safeguarding and observation methods.

The director of national security in the capital area, Security Chief Atkeh, was referenced by the government press as declaring that authorities were probing the robbery, which he said had focused on several "archaeological statues and valuable objects".

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

The National Museum, which was founded in the early twentieth century, holds the significant cultural treasures in the country.

It features clay cuneiform tablets tracing back to the 14th Century BC from Ugarit, where indications of the earliest linguistic system was discovered; Greco-Roman period Greco-Roman sculptures from the ancient city, a significant ancient sites of the ancient world; and a third century religious building that was established at Dura Europos.

The museum was forced to close in 2012, one year after the beginning of the devastating civil war. The majority of the collection was removed and stored at undisclosed sites to ensure their safety.

It reopened partially in 2018 and resumed full operations in January 2025, four weeks after insurgents deposed President Bashar al-Assad.

Every one of nationally recognized sites were affected or partially destroyed during the internal struggle.

The IS organization blew up multiple religious structures and additional edifices at Palmyra, stating that they were un-Islamic. Unesco denounced the damage as a violation.

Countless historical objects were also destroyed or looted from archaeological sites and museums.