Valuable Artifacts Stolen from the National Museum Located in Damascus

Valuable sculptures and other artefacts have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, sources confirm.

The robbery was found on Monday, when employees apparently found that a doorway had been forced from the interior.

The multiple stolen pieces were marble creations and originated to the Roman period, a source told the media outlet.

Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had opened an investigation to establish the "events surrounding the disappearance of a group of exhibits", and that actions had been implemented to strengthen security and monitoring systems.

The chief of internal security in the Damascus region, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the government press as declaring that security forces were examining the robbery, which he said had targeted several "archaeological statues and unique items".

He noted that museum protectors at the museum and other individuals were being questioned.

The Damascus Museum, which was founded in 1919, holds the primary historical artifacts in Syria.

It contains ancient inscribed tablets tracing back to the ancient era from Ugarit, where proof of the most ancient writing system was uncovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD Greco-Roman sculptures from Palmyra, a significant ancient sites of the ancient world; and a ancient religious building that was built at another archaeological site.

The institution was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, twelve months after the start of the devastating civil war. The majority of the artifacts was transferred and stored at secure places to safeguard them.

It reopened partially in 2018 and returned to normal in January 2025, a month after insurgents removed President Bashar al-Assad.

Every one of nationally recognized sites were damaged or partially destroyed during the conflict.

The militant faction destroyed several religious structures and historical sites at the ancient city, stating that they were un-Islamic. The cultural organization condemned the destruction as a atrocity.

Many artefacts were also destroyed or taken from archaeological sites and museums.