Valuable Artifacts Stolen from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Valuable sculptures and cultural objects have been taken from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, sources confirm.
The theft was noticed 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 half-dozen stolen sculptures were marble creations and originated to the Roman period, an authority stated to the media outlet.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had initiated an inquiry to determine the "events surrounding the disappearance of a collection of exhibits", and that actions had been implemented to strengthen protection and monitoring systems.
The director of domestic security in the capital area, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was cited by the government press as stating that authorities were probing the robbery, which he said had focused on several "ancient sculptures and rare collectibles".
He added that security personnel at the museum and other individuals were being questioned.
The cultural institution, which was founded in the early twentieth century, contains the significant cultural treasures in Syria.
It contains clay cuneiform tablets tracing back to the 14th Century BC from Ugarit, where evidence of the oldest known writing system was discovered; Greco-Roman period Greco-Roman sculptures from the ancient city, among the foremost cultural centres of the historical period; and a ancient Jewish temple that was built at another archaeological site.
The museum was forced to close in the early 2010s, twelve months after the beginning of the devastating civil war. A large portion of the holdings was transferred and preserved at secret locations to protect them.
It began limited operations in 2018 and completely reopened in the beginning of the year, one month after insurgents removed President Bashar al-Assad.
Every one of the country's cultural landmarks were affected or partly ruined during the conflict.
The IS organization destroyed several temples and additional edifices at the archaeological site, asserting that they were idolatrous. International authorities censured the demolition as a atrocity.
Numerous historical objects were also destroyed or stolen from archaeological sites and cultural institutions.
