Historic Artifacts Stolen from Syria's National Museum in Damascus

Historic statues and other artefacts have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, officials say.

The robbery was found on the start of the week, when museum workers apparently found that one of the museum's doors had been forced from the interior.

The multiple stolen statues were marble creations and dated back to the ancient Roman times, one official informed the news agency.

Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had launched a probe to establish the "events surrounding the theft of a number of exhibits", and that measures had been enacted to strengthen security and surveillance.

The director of internal security in the Damascus region, General Osama Atkeh, was cited by the official media as declaring that security forces were probing the robbery, which he said had targeted several "ancient sculptures and unique items".

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

The cultural institution, which was founded in 1919, contains the most important archaeological collection in the country.

It contains ancient inscribed tablets dating back to the ancient era from an ancient city, where evidence of the earliest linguistic system was discovered; Greco-Roman period classical statues from historical site, a significant ancient sites of the ancient world; and a third century religious building that was established at another archaeological site.

The institution was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, one year after the beginning of the destructive conflict. The majority of the collection was transferred and kept at secure places to ensure their safety.

It partially resumed in 2018 and completely reopened in January 2025, a month after opposition groups overthrew Syria's former leader.

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

The militant faction blew up several religious structures and historical sites at the archaeological site, claiming that they were idolatrous. The cultural organization condemned the destruction as a war crime.

Numerous historical objects were also lost or stolen from historical locations and collections.