Valuable Sculptures Removed from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic artifacts and other artefacts have been stolen from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, authorities report.
The burglary was discovered on the start of the week, when museum workers reportedly found that one of the museum's doors had been forced from the interior.
The half-dozen stolen statues were made of marble and traced back to the ancient Roman times, one official told the media outlet.
Cultural heritage officials said it had opened an investigation to identify the "events surrounding the loss of a number of items", and that actions had been taken to strengthen security and surveillance.
The head of internal security in the capital area, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the state-run Sana news agency as declaring that law enforcement were investigating the incident, which he said had focused on several "historical artifacts and rare collectibles".
He added that museum protectors at the museum and other individuals were being interviewed.
The National Museum, which was created in the early twentieth century, contains the most important historical artifacts in Syria.
It includes historical records originating to the ancient era from an ancient city, where indications of the most ancient writing system was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD Greco-Roman sculptures from the ancient city, a significant cultural centres of the classical era; and a ancient synagogue that was built at an ancient location.
The institution was compelled to shut in 2012, a year after the start of the devastating civil war. The majority of the collection was evacuated and preserved at secret locations to ensure their safety.
It reopened partially in 2018 and resumed full operations in early this year, one month after insurgents overthrew Syria's former leader.
Each of the six of the country's cultural landmarks were damaged or significantly impacted during the civil war.
The IS organization demolished numerous religious structures and other structures at Palmyra, stating that they were against their beliefs. The cultural organization condemned the demolition as a war crime.
Many cultural items were also damaged or looted from dig sites and cultural institutions.
