🔗 Share this article Ancient Statues Stolen from the National Museum in Damascus The National Museum reopened fully in the first month of this year, one month after the overthrow of the Assad government. Valuable statues and additional items have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in the capital, sources confirm. The burglary was found on Monday, when staff allegedly found that one of the museum's doors had been broken from the inside. The six stolen sculptures were marble creations and dated back to the Roman era, a source informed the news agency. The nation's antiquities authority said it had initiated an inquiry to determine the "details surrounding the loss of a collection of items", and that steps had been taken to enhance safeguarding and monitoring systems. The head of internal security in the Damascus region, General Osama Atkeh, was cited by the state-run Sana news agency as saying that law enforcement were investigating the theft, which he said had targeted several "historical artifacts and rare collectibles". He added that guards at the institution and other persons were being interrogated. The cultural institution, which was established in the early twentieth century, holds the most important cultural treasures in Syria. It features ancient inscribed tablets originating to the 14th Century BC from historical site, where proof of the most ancient linguistic system was discovered; early centuries CE Greco-Roman sculptures from the ancient city, a significant ancient sites of the historical period; and a third century Jewish temple that was established at an ancient location. The facility was forced to close in 2012, twelve months after the start of the devastating civil war. Most of the collection was evacuated and stored at secret locations to safeguard them. It partially resumed in 2018 and completely reopened in January 2025, a month after rebel forces removed Syria's former leader. All six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were damaged or significantly impacted during the conflict. The Islamic State group blew up several ancient buildings and other structures at the ancient city, asserting that they were idolatrous. Unesco condemned the demolition as a war crime. Numerous cultural items were also damaged or stolen from archaeological sites and museums.