🔗 Share this article Valuable Statues Stolen from Syria's National Museum in Damascus The National Museum resumed complete operations in January of 2025, one month after the overthrow of Syria's former leader. Ancient statues and additional items have been taken from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, authorities report. The robbery was discovered on the start of the week, when museum workers apparently found that one of the museum's doors had been damaged from the interior. The six missing statues were made of marble and originated to the Roman era, an authority informed the media outlet. The nation's antiquities authority said it had initiated an inquiry to identify the "details surrounding the disappearance of a group of items", and that actions had been taken to improve safeguarding and observation methods. The chief of domestic security in the capital area, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was cited by the government press as declaring that security forces were examining the incident, which he said had targeted several "historical artifacts and valuable objects". He continued that guards at the institution and additional people were being questioned. The Damascus Museum, which was established in the early twentieth century, houses the most important archaeological collection in the country. It contains historical records originating to the Bronze Age from an ancient city, where proof of the oldest known linguistic system was uncovered; Greco-Roman period Greco-Roman sculptures from Palmyra, a significant cultural centres of the classical era; and a third century religious building that was constructed at another archaeological site. The museum was compelled to shut in 2012, a year after the beginning of the destructive conflict. A large portion of the collection was evacuated and kept at undisclosed sites to safeguard them. It began limited operations in recent years and returned to normal in the beginning of the year, one month after insurgents deposed President Bashar al-Assad. All six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were damaged or significantly impacted during the conflict. The militant faction blew up numerous ancient buildings and additional edifices at the ancient city, stating that they were un-Islamic. International authorities condemned the destruction as a atrocity. Many cultural items were also destroyed or taken from dig sites and museums.