Historic Artifacts Removed from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Valuable statues and other artefacts have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, authorities report.
The burglary was noticed on Monday, when employees apparently found that a doorway had been damaged from the inside.
The six taken sculptures were marble creations and originated to the Roman era, an authority informed the media outlet.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had launched a probe to identify the "circumstances surrounding the theft of a number of exhibits", and that steps had been taken to strengthen safeguarding and monitoring systems.
The director of domestic security in Damascus province, General Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the official media as declaring that law enforcement were examining the robbery, which he said had affected several "ancient sculptures and rare collectibles".
He added that security personnel at the institution and other individuals were being interviewed.
The Damascus Museum, which was founded in the early twentieth century, holds the significant archaeological collection in Syria.
It contains ancient inscribed tablets originating to the ancient era from Ugarit, where proof of the earliest complete alphabet was discovered; Greco-Roman period Greco-Roman sculptures from the ancient city, one of the most important historical locations of the ancient world; and a ancient religious building that was built at Dura Europos.
The facility was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, a year after the outbreak of the devastating civil war. A large portion of the artifacts was transferred and kept at secure places to safeguard them.
It began limited operations in 2018 and returned to normal in the beginning of the year, a month after opposition groups deposed Syria's former leader.
Each of the six of the country's cultural landmarks were damaged or partially destroyed during the conflict.
The Islamic State group blew up multiple temples and historical sites at the ancient city, claiming that they were against their beliefs. The cultural organization condemned the demolition as a war crime.
Countless historical objects were also lost or stolen from archaeological sites and museums.
