🔗 Share this article Historic Statues Stolen from the National Museum Located in Damascus The Damascus Museum reopened fully in January of 2025, one month after the deposition of the Assad government. Valuable artifacts and other artefacts have been removed from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, officials say. The robbery was noticed on Monday, when employees apparently found that an entrance had been forced from the inside. The multiple stolen statues were made of marble and originated to the ancient Roman times, one official told the Associated Press. The nation's antiquities authority said it had launched a probe to determine the "events surrounding the disappearance of a group of items", and that steps had been implemented to enhance protection and observation methods. The head of domestic security in the Damascus region, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the state-run Sana news agency as stating that security forces were probing the incident, which he said had targeted several "historical artifacts and rare collectibles". He continued that guards at the facility and other individuals were being interviewed. The cultural institution, which was founded in 1919, contains the primary archaeological collection in the country. It contains ancient inscribed tablets originating to the Bronze Age from Ugarit, where indications of the earliest linguistic system was uncovered; Greco-Roman period Greco-Roman sculptures from Palmyra, among the foremost historical locations of the historical period; and a third century religious building that was constructed at another archaeological site. The institution was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, a year after the beginning of the internal strife. A large portion of the artifacts was removed and kept at secure places to safeguard them. It began limited operations in 2018 and returned to normal in January 2025, one month after rebel forces overthrew the Assad regime. Every one of the country's cultural landmarks were damaged or significantly impacted during the internal struggle. The Islamic State group destroyed multiple temples and other structures at the ancient city, stating that they were against their beliefs. The cultural organization censured the damage as a atrocity. Numerous cultural items were also destroyed or taken from historical locations and collections.