Valuable Statues Taken from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic artifacts and cultural objects have been stolen from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, officials say.
The burglary was noticed on Monday, when staff allegedly found that one of the museum's doors had been broken from the interior.
The six missing statues were crafted from 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 initiated an inquiry to identify the "circumstances surrounding the disappearance of a group of items", and that actions had been implemented to enhance security and observation methods.
The head of domestic security in the capital area, Security Chief Atkeh, was cited by the state-run Sana news agency as declaring that authorities were investigating the robbery, which he said had targeted several "ancient sculptures and valuable objects".
He continued that museum protectors at the facility and additional people were being interviewed.
The National Museum, which was created in the early twentieth century, holds the significant archaeological collection in the country.
It includes historical records dating back to the ancient era from an ancient city, where indications of the most ancient linguistic system was uncovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD classical statues from historical site, among the foremost cultural centres of the ancient world; and a third century synagogue that was constructed at Dura Europos.
The museum was had to cease operations in 2012, a year after the beginning of the internal strife. A large portion of the holdings was evacuated and stored at secure places to safeguard them.
It reopened partially in 2018 and completely reopened in early this year, four weeks after insurgents overthrew Syria's former leader.
All six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were damaged or significantly impacted during the conflict.
The Islamic State group blew up several ancient buildings and other structures at Palmyra, stating that they were against their beliefs. The cultural organization denounced the demolition as a war crime.
Countless cultural items were also destroyed or taken from historical locations and collections.
