Valuable Sculptures Stolen from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus

Valuable statues and other artefacts have been removed from Syria's National Museum in the capital, officials say.

The robbery was found on the start of the week, when employees apparently found that an entrance had been broken from the interior.

The half-dozen missing sculptures were marble creations and traced back to the Roman era, one official told the news agency.

Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had initiated an inquiry to determine the "events surrounding the theft of a number of exhibits", and that steps had been taken to enhance safeguarding and monitoring systems.

The director of domestic security in the Damascus region, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was cited by the official media as saying that law enforcement were examining the theft, which he said had affected several "ancient sculptures and unique items".

He added that guards at the institution and additional people were being questioned.

The cultural institution, which was established in the early twentieth century, houses the primary historical artifacts in the country.

It contains clay cuneiform tablets dating back to the 14th Century BC from Ugarit, where indications of the earliest linguistic system was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD classical statues from the ancient city, among the foremost historical locations of the classical era; and a 3rd Century AD Jewish temple that was established at Dura Europos.

The institution was had to cease operations in 2012, twelve months after the beginning of the internal strife. A large portion of the collection was transferred and kept at secret locations to safeguard them.

It partially resumed in recent years and resumed full operations in January 2025, four weeks after insurgents removed President Bashar al-Assad.

Every one of the country's cultural landmarks were affected or partially destroyed during the internal struggle.

The IS organization destroyed multiple ancient buildings and additional edifices at the archaeological site, stating that they were un-Islamic. International authorities condemned the demolition as a violation.

Many cultural items were also damaged or looted from dig sites and collections.