Valuable Statues Taken from the National Museum Located in Damascus

Valuable statues and other artefacts have been removed from Syria's National Museum in the capital, authorities report.

The robbery was found on the start of the week, when museum workers allegedly found that one of the museum's doors had been damaged from the inside.

The half-dozen stolen statues were made of marble and originated to the Roman period, a source stated to the media outlet.

Cultural heritage officials said it had launched a probe to identify the "events surrounding the disappearance of a collection of artifacts", and that actions had been implemented to improve safeguarding and observation methods.

The chief of internal security in the Damascus region, General Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the government press as saying that security forces were probing the robbery, which he said had affected several "archaeological statues and valuable objects".

He noted that guards at the institution and other individuals were being interviewed.

The National Museum, which was established in the early twentieth century, contains the primary historical artifacts in Syria.

It features ancient inscribed tablets originating to the Bronze Age from historical site, where evidence of the most ancient writing system was uncovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, a significant cultural centres of the ancient world; and a third century synagogue that was established at another archaeological site.

The facility was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, one year after the beginning of the internal strife. A large portion of the holdings was removed and preserved at undisclosed sites to protect them.

It began limited operations in recent years and returned to normal in January 2025, four weeks after rebel forces overthrew the Assad regime.

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

The IS organization demolished multiple religious structures and additional edifices at the ancient city, claiming that they were un-Islamic. International authorities censured the damage as a violation.

Many historical objects were also lost or looted from historical locations and museums.