Ancient Sculptures Removed from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic artifacts and cultural objects have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in the capital, sources confirm.
The robbery was discovered on the start of the week, when museum workers reportedly found that an entrance had been forced from the interior.
The multiple stolen sculptures were marble creations and originated to the Roman period, an authority told the media outlet.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had launched a probe to identify the "circumstances surrounding the disappearance of a number of exhibits", and that steps had been implemented to improve security and monitoring systems.
The director of domestic security in the Damascus region, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the government press as saying that security forces were examining the theft, which he said had targeted several "archaeological statues and rare collectibles".
He added that security personnel at the museum and other individuals were being interviewed.
The cultural institution, which was founded in 1919, houses the significant cultural treasures in the country.
It contains clay cuneiform tablets dating back to the 14th Century BC from historical site, where evidence of the earliest writing system was discovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD Greco-Roman sculptures from Palmyra, a significant historical locations of the ancient world; and a ancient Jewish temple that was established at an ancient location.
The facility was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, twelve months after the start of the internal strife. A large portion of the collection was removed and preserved at undisclosed sites to ensure their safety.
It partially resumed in 2018 and resumed full operations in early this year, a month after opposition groups 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 Islamic State group destroyed numerous ancient buildings and historical sites at the ancient city, asserting that they were idolatrous. The cultural organization censured the damage as a atrocity.
Numerous artefacts were also lost or looted from historical locations and museums.
