🔗 Share this article Valuable Statues Stolen from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus The National Museum resumed complete operations in January of 2025, one month after the deposition of Syria's former leader. Valuable statues and cultural objects have been taken from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, officials say. The burglary was discovered on Monday, when museum workers reportedly found that an entrance had been damaged from the inside. The six stolen sculptures were marble creations and dated back to the Roman period, a source stated to the Associated Press. Cultural heritage officials said it had initiated an inquiry to identify the "events surrounding the disappearance of a number of artifacts", and that measures had been taken to enhance protection and observation methods. The chief of domestic security in the capital area, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the government press as stating that law enforcement were probing the incident, which he said had focused on several "ancient sculptures and unique items". He continued that museum protectors at the museum and other persons were being questioned. The Damascus Museum, which was founded in the early twentieth century, houses the significant cultural treasures in the country. It features clay cuneiform tablets dating back to the Bronze Age from an ancient city, where proof of the earliest linguistic system was found; Greco-Roman period Greco-Roman sculptures from Palmyra, among the foremost historical locations of the historical period; and a third century Jewish temple that was constructed at an ancient location. The museum was forced to close in the early 2010s, twelve months after the start of the devastating civil war. A large portion of the artifacts was transferred and preserved at undisclosed sites to ensure their safety. It began limited operations in 2018 and completely reopened in the beginning of the year, a month after opposition groups removed President Bashar al-Assad. All six of nationally recognized sites were affected or partially destroyed during the internal struggle. The militant faction destroyed numerous ancient buildings and other structures at the ancient city, claiming that they were un-Islamic. International authorities censured the destruction as a atrocity. Numerous cultural items were also destroyed or stolen from archaeological sites and cultural institutions.