Valuable Artifacts Removed from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus

Historic sculptures and other artefacts have been taken from Syria's National Museum in the capital, authorities report.

The theft was found on the start of the week, when staff allegedly found that an entrance had been damaged from the interior.

The six taken pieces were crafted from marble and traced back to the Roman period, one official informed the media outlet.

Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had initiated an inquiry to establish the "events surrounding the theft of a collection of items", and that steps had been enacted to enhance protection and surveillance.

The director of national security in the Damascus region, General Osama Atkeh, was cited by the government press as saying that security forces were examining the robbery, which he said had focused on several "historical artifacts and rare collectibles".

He noted that guards at the institution and additional people were being interrogated.

The cultural institution, which was established in the early twentieth century, holds the most important archaeological collection in Syria.

It contains historical records tracing back to the ancient era from Ugarit, where evidence of the oldest known writing system was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, a significant ancient sites of the historical period; and a third century Jewish temple that was constructed at another archaeological site.

The institution was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, one year after the outbreak of the devastating civil war. The majority of the holdings was evacuated and kept at secure places to protect them.

It began limited operations in 2018 and completely reopened in January 2025, one month after insurgents overthrew the Assad regime.

Each of the six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were affected or significantly impacted during the internal struggle.

The Islamic State group blew up numerous religious structures and additional edifices at Palmyra, asserting that they were idolatrous. International authorities denounced the damage as a violation.

Many cultural items were also lost or looted from historical locations and collections.