Historic Artifacts Stolen from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Valuable statues and other artefacts have been stolen from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, sources confirm.
The theft was noticed on the start of the week, when staff apparently found that one of the museum's doors had been broken from the inside.
The six stolen sculptures were made of marble and dated back to the ancient Roman times, one official informed the news agency.
Cultural heritage officials said it had initiated an inquiry to establish the "details surrounding the theft of a number of items", and that steps had been implemented to improve security and observation methods.
The head of domestic security in Damascus province, Security Chief Atkeh, was cited by the government press as declaring that law enforcement were probing the incident, which he said had targeted several "archaeological statues and unique items".
He noted that guards at the facility and other individuals were being questioned.
The Damascus Museum, which was founded in the early twentieth century, holds the most important cultural treasures in Syria.
It includes historical records originating to the ancient era from an ancient city, where indications of the earliest linguistic system was found; Greco-Roman period Greco-Roman sculptures from Palmyra, among the foremost ancient sites of the ancient world; and a third century synagogue that was established at another archaeological site.
The facility was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, a year after the outbreak of the internal strife. A large portion of the artifacts was evacuated and stored at secret locations to protect them.
It partially resumed in recent years and resumed full operations in the beginning of the year, four weeks after opposition groups deposed the Assad regime.
Every one of the country's cultural landmarks were damaged or partially destroyed during the internal struggle.
The IS organization demolished numerous ancient buildings and historical sites at the archaeological site, asserting that they were against their beliefs. The cultural organization censured the damage as a violation.
Countless historical objects were also lost or looted from archaeological sites and cultural institutions.
