đŸ”— Share this article Ancient Sculptures Taken from Syria's National Museum in Damascus The National Museum resumed complete operations in January of 2025, a month after the overthrow of Syria's former leader. Valuable artifacts and cultural objects have been taken from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, authorities report. The robbery was found on Monday, when staff apparently found that one of the museum's doors had been damaged from the interior. The six stolen pieces were crafted from marble and traced back to the ancient Roman times, a source stated to the media outlet. Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had initiated an inquiry to establish the "details surrounding the loss of a number of artifacts", and that steps had been taken to improve safeguarding and surveillance. The chief of internal security in Damascus province, General Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the state-run Sana news agency as saying that authorities were investigating the theft, which he said had targeted several "archaeological statues and valuable objects". He noted that security personnel at the facility and other persons were being interviewed. The cultural institution, which was established in 1919, houses the primary archaeological collection in Syria. It includes clay cuneiform tablets tracing back to the ancient era from Ugarit, where proof of the earliest linguistic system was uncovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD classical statues from Palmyra, one of the most important ancient sites of the ancient world; and a third century Jewish temple that was built at Dura Europos. The museum was compelled to shut in 2012, one year after the start of the devastating civil war. The majority of the collection was evacuated and preserved at secure places to safeguard them. It partially resumed in recent years and completely reopened in early this year, a month after rebel forces removed Syria's former leader. All six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were affected or significantly impacted during the conflict. The Islamic State group blew up several religious structures and additional edifices at Palmyra, claiming that they were idolatrous. Unesco condemned the destruction as a war crime. Many artefacts were also destroyed or taken from dig sites and cultural institutions.