Valuable Sculptures Taken from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Ancient sculptures and cultural objects have been stolen from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, sources confirm.
The burglary was found on the start of the week, when museum workers allegedly found that one of the museum's doors had been broken from the inside.
The half-dozen missing sculptures were made of marble and dated back to the Roman era, an authority stated to the news agency.
Cultural heritage officials said it had opened an investigation to identify the "circumstances surrounding the disappearance of a collection of items", and that actions had been implemented to improve security and monitoring systems.
The director of domestic security in the Damascus region, Security Chief Atkeh, was cited by the official media as declaring that law enforcement were investigating the theft, which he said had focused on several "ancient sculptures and valuable objects".
He added that guards at the institution and additional people were being questioned.
The Damascus Museum, which was created in 1919, holds the primary cultural treasures in the country.
It features ancient inscribed tablets originating to the ancient era from an ancient city, where evidence of the oldest known writing system was uncovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD Greco-Roman sculptures from the ancient city, a significant historical locations of the ancient world; and a third century synagogue that was built at Dura Europos.
The institution was forced to close in 2012, one year after the beginning of the internal strife. The majority of the collection was transferred and preserved at secure places to safeguard them.
It partially resumed in 2018 and completely reopened in the beginning of the year, one month after rebel forces removed Syria's former leader.
Every one of the country's cultural landmarks were damaged or significantly impacted during the conflict.
The militant faction destroyed several religious structures and additional edifices at Palmyra, claiming that they were idolatrous. The cultural organization denounced the destruction as a war crime.
Countless artefacts were also lost or stolen from historical locations and museums.
