🔗 Share this article Ancient Artifacts Stolen from the National Museum in Damascus The National Museum resumed complete operations in January of 2025, a month after the removal of Syria's former leader. Ancient sculptures and additional items have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in the capital, authorities report. The theft was discovered on the start of the week, when museum workers apparently found that a doorway had been damaged from the interior. The six missing sculptures were crafted from marble and dated back to the Roman era, one official told the media outlet. Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had initiated an inquiry to identify the "events surrounding the loss of a group of exhibits", and that actions had been implemented to strengthen protection and monitoring systems. The head of internal security in the capital area, General Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the government press as saying that law enforcement were investigating the incident, which he said had affected several "archaeological statues and unique items". He added that museum protectors at the institution and other persons were being interrogated. The National Museum, which was founded in the early twentieth century, houses the primary cultural treasures in Syria. It contains clay cuneiform tablets dating back to the Bronze Age from an ancient city, where indications of the oldest known complete alphabet was discovered; Greco-Roman period ancient art from historical site, among the foremost ancient sites of the historical period; and a 3rd Century AD Jewish temple that was established at Dura Europos. The facility was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, a year after the beginning of the devastating civil war. The majority of the artifacts was removed and kept at undisclosed sites to safeguard them. It reopened partially in recent years and resumed full operations in the beginning of the year, a month after opposition groups removed the Assad regime. Every one of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were damaged or significantly impacted during the conflict. The Islamic State group blew up multiple religious structures and historical sites at the archaeological site, claiming that they were idolatrous. The cultural organization condemned the destruction as a war crime. Many cultural items were also lost or stolen from archaeological sites and museums.