Valuable Statues Stolen from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Valuable artifacts and other artefacts have been removed from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, authorities report.
The burglary was noticed on Monday, when museum workers apparently found that one of the museum's doors had been damaged from the interior.
The multiple taken sculptures were made of marble and dated back to the Roman era, an authority informed the news agency.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had initiated an inquiry to determine the "circumstances surrounding the disappearance of a number of exhibits", and that actions had been implemented to improve protection and observation methods.
The chief of domestic security in the capital area, Security Chief Atkeh, was cited by the official media as stating that security forces were examining the incident, which he said had targeted several "ancient sculptures and valuable objects".
He noted that security personnel at the institution and other individuals were being questioned.
The Damascus Museum, which was founded in the early twentieth century, houses the primary cultural treasures in the country.
It features ancient inscribed tablets dating back to the Bronze Age from an ancient city, where proof of the earliest linguistic system was found; early centuries CE classical statues from Palmyra, among the foremost historical locations of the historical period; and a ancient Jewish temple that was built at another archaeological site.
The institution was forced to close in the early 2010s, a year after the beginning of the destructive conflict. A large portion of the collection was removed and preserved at secure places to ensure their safety.
It reopened partially in 2018 and completely reopened in early this year, four weeks after insurgents overthrew President Bashar al-Assad.
Each of the six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were affected or partly ruined during the civil war.
The Islamic State group demolished numerous ancient buildings and other structures at the ancient city, claiming that they were against their beliefs. International authorities denounced the destruction as a war crime.
Countless historical objects were also destroyed or taken from historical locations and collections.
