Valuable Sculptures Removed from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus

Ancient statues and cultural objects have been taken from Syria's National Museum in the capital, sources confirm.

The theft was noticed on Monday, when employees allegedly found that a doorway had been broken from the interior.

The half-dozen stolen statues were marble creations and traced back to the Roman period, an authority told the Associated Press.

Cultural heritage officials said it had opened an investigation to identify the "events surrounding the disappearance of a group of items", and that actions had been implemented to enhance protection and observation methods.

The head of internal security in Damascus province, General Osama Atkeh, was cited by the official media as saying that law enforcement were probing the robbery, which he said had focused on several "archaeological statues and valuable objects".

He continued that museum protectors at the institution and other persons were being interviewed.

The National Museum, which was established in 1919, contains the significant historical artifacts in the country.

It includes ancient inscribed tablets dating back to the ancient era from an ancient city, where proof of the most ancient writing system was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD ancient art from historical site, among the foremost historical locations of the historical period; and a 3rd Century AD Jewish temple that was constructed at Dura Europos.

The facility was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, a year after the beginning of the devastating civil war. The majority of the collection was evacuated and kept at undisclosed sites to protect them.

It reopened partially in recent years and completely reopened in January 2025, one month after opposition groups removed President Bashar al-Assad.

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

The IS organization destroyed several ancient buildings and additional edifices at Palmyra, claiming that they were against their beliefs. International authorities condemned the destruction as a war crime.

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