🔗 Share this article Valuable Statues Taken from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus The National Museum resumed complete operations in January of 2025, four weeks after the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad. Valuable sculptures and cultural objects have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in the capital, authorities report. The burglary was noticed on Monday, when staff allegedly found that an entrance had been broken from the interior. The half-dozen stolen sculptures were made of marble and originated to the Roman period, an authority told the media outlet. The nation's antiquities authority said it had launched a probe to determine the "events surrounding the disappearance of a collection of exhibits", and that steps had been enacted to enhance security and monitoring systems. The chief of internal security in the Damascus region, Security Chief Atkeh, was quoted by the state-run Sana news agency as declaring that security forces were examining the theft, which he said had targeted several "historical artifacts and rare collectibles". He added that museum protectors at the institution and other persons were being interviewed. The Damascus Museum, which was founded in the early twentieth century, houses the most important archaeological collection in Syria. It features ancient inscribed tablets originating to the ancient era from historical site, where proof of the earliest linguistic system was uncovered; early centuries CE ancient art from Palmyra, one of the most important historical locations of the classical era; and a third century Jewish temple that was constructed at another archaeological site. The institution was had to cease operations in 2012, a year after the start of the internal strife. A large portion of the artifacts was transferred and kept at undisclosed sites to ensure their safety. It began limited operations in 2018 and returned to normal in the beginning of the year, four weeks after insurgents removed the Assad regime. Each of the six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were damaged or significantly impacted during the civil war. The militant faction destroyed numerous ancient buildings and additional edifices at the ancient city, asserting that they were idolatrous. International authorities condemned the demolition as a war crime. Numerous cultural items were also damaged or taken from historical locations and collections.