Historic Statues Removed from the National Museum in Damascus

Valuable sculptures and additional items have been taken from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, officials say.

The robbery was found on Monday, when museum workers apparently found that a doorway had been damaged from the interior.

The half-dozen taken statues were marble creations and traced back to the ancient Roman times, a source told the Associated Press.

Cultural heritage officials said it had initiated an inquiry to establish the "events surrounding the disappearance of a group of items", and that steps had been implemented to improve security and monitoring systems.

The chief of internal security in the Damascus region, General Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the state-run Sana news agency as declaring that security forces were examining the incident, which he said had targeted several "archaeological statues and rare collectibles".

He continued that guards at the museum and other individuals were being questioned.

The Damascus Museum, which was created in the early twentieth century, contains the significant historical artifacts in Syria.

It includes ancient inscribed tablets dating back to the 14th Century BC from Ugarit, where evidence of the oldest known linguistic system was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD classical statues from Palmyra, a significant historical locations of the ancient world; and a third century Jewish temple that was established at another archaeological site.

The museum was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, one year after the outbreak of the destructive conflict. A large portion of the holdings was removed and stored at undisclosed sites to ensure their safety.

It began limited operations in recent years and completely reopened in January 2025, one month after opposition groups removed Syria's former leader.

All six of nationally recognized sites were damaged or significantly impacted during the internal struggle.

The Islamic State group demolished numerous ancient buildings and other structures at the ancient city, claiming that they were against their beliefs. The cultural organization censured the damage as a war crime.

Many historical objects were also damaged or taken from historical locations and museums.