Ancient Artifacts Removed from the National Museum in Damascus
Historic statues and cultural objects have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, sources confirm.
The burglary was found on the start of the week, when museum workers reportedly found that a doorway had been forced from the interior.
The half-dozen missing statues were made of marble and dated back to the ancient Roman times, an authority stated to the media outlet.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had launched a probe to establish the "circumstances surrounding the theft of a group of artifacts", and that actions had been enacted to improve security and observation methods.
The head of internal security in the Damascus region, Security Chief Atkeh, was quoted by the state-run Sana news agency as stating that law enforcement were investigating the theft, which he said had affected several "historical artifacts and rare collectibles".
He added that museum protectors at the institution and other persons were being questioned.
The National Museum, which was established in the early twentieth century, holds the most important historical artifacts in the country.
It contains clay cuneiform tablets dating back to the 14th Century BC from Ugarit, where indications of the earliest complete alphabet was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD classical statues from the ancient city, among the foremost historical locations of the historical period; and a 3rd Century AD synagogue that was built at an ancient location.
The institution was forced to close in 2012, one year after the start of the destructive conflict. The majority of the holdings was transferred and preserved at undisclosed sites to ensure their safety.
It reopened partially in 2018 and completely reopened in the beginning of the year, four weeks after insurgents deposed Syria's former leader.
Each of the six of nationally recognized sites were harmed or partially destroyed during the civil war.
The militant faction demolished several temples and additional edifices at the archaeological site, asserting that they were against their beliefs. Unesco denounced the destruction as a war crime.
Many historical objects were also lost or stolen from archaeological sites and museums.
