Valuable Statues Stolen from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Ancient statues and cultural objects have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, sources confirm.
The robbery was noticed on the start of the week, when museum workers allegedly found that an entrance had been damaged from the inside.
The half-dozen missing sculptures were made of marble and dated back to the Roman period, one official stated to the media outlet.
Cultural heritage officials said it had opened an investigation to identify the "circumstances surrounding the theft of a collection of artifacts", and that measures had been implemented to improve safeguarding and surveillance.
The chief of domestic security in Damascus province, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was cited by the state-run Sana news agency as stating that security forces were probing the incident, which he said had targeted several "archaeological statues and rare collectibles".
He noted that museum protectors at the museum and additional people were being interviewed.
The Damascus Museum, which was established in the early twentieth century, holds the significant historical artifacts in the country.
It includes ancient inscribed tablets dating back to the Bronze Age from Ugarit, where indications of the most ancient writing system was found; Greco-Roman period Greco-Roman sculptures from Palmyra, a significant cultural centres of the classical era; and a ancient synagogue that was established at Dura Europos.
The facility was compelled to shut in 2012, one year after the outbreak of the devastating civil war. Most of the collection was evacuated and kept at secure places to protect them.
It reopened partially in recent years and returned to normal in early this year, a month after rebel forces removed Syria's former leader.
Every one of nationally recognized sites were damaged or significantly impacted during the conflict.
The Islamic State group destroyed numerous ancient buildings and additional edifices at the archaeological site, stating that they were idolatrous. The cultural organization denounced the damage as a violation.
Many cultural items were also damaged or taken from archaeological sites and collections.
