Ancient Sculptures Taken from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus

Museum Building — The National Museum reopened fully in the first month of 2025, four weeks after the deposition of the Assad government.

Valuable artifacts and other artefacts have been stolen from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, authorities report.

The theft was discovered on the start of the week, when museum workers allegedly found that a doorway had been damaged from the interior.

The multiple missing sculptures were marble creations and dated back to the ancient Roman times, one official informed the news agency.

The nation's antiquities authority said it had opened an investigation to identify the "circumstances surrounding the loss of a collection of items", and that actions had been implemented to enhance protection and surveillance.

The director of internal security in the capital area, General Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the official media as saying that security forces were examining the theft, which he said had targeted several "historical artifacts and valuable objects".

He added that security personnel at the institution and other persons were being interrogated.

The cultural institution, which was established in 1919, houses the significant archaeological collection in Syria.

It features clay cuneiform tablets tracing back to the Bronze Age from Ugarit, where proof of the oldest known complete alphabet was found; early centuries CE classical statues from Palmyra, a significant historical locations of the classical era; and a 3rd Century AD religious building that was built at Dura Europos.

The institution was forced to close in the early 2010s, one year after the outbreak of the internal strife. Most of the collection was removed and stored at undisclosed sites to safeguard them.

It partially resumed in 2018 and resumed full operations in early this year, a month after rebel forces deposed the Assad regime.

Each of the six of nationally recognized sites were damaged or partly ruined during the conflict.

The IS organization blew up several religious structures and other structures at Palmyra, asserting that they were idolatrous. The cultural organization censured the destruction as a atrocity.

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

Tony Cook

Mira is a seasoned gaming analyst with over a decade of experience in the online casino industry, specializing in slot mechanics and player strategies.