Historic Sculptures Taken from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Valuable artifacts and cultural objects have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, sources confirm.
The burglary was found on Monday, when museum workers apparently found that an entrance had been damaged from the inside.
The half-dozen stolen pieces were made of marble and originated to the Roman period, one official informed the media outlet.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had initiated an inquiry to determine the "events surrounding the theft of a group of artifacts", and that actions had been enacted to strengthen security and surveillance.
The director of national security in the Damascus region, General Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the state-run Sana news agency as declaring that law enforcement were examining the robbery, which he said had targeted several "archaeological statues and valuable objects".
He continued that guards at the facility and other individuals were being interviewed.
The Damascus Museum, which was established in 1919, contains the primary archaeological collection in the country.
It contains ancient inscribed tablets dating back to the ancient era from historical site, where proof of the oldest known writing system was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD ancient art from the ancient city, one of the most important ancient sites of the historical period; and a third century Jewish temple that was established at an ancient location.
The museum was had to cease operations in 2012, twelve months after the outbreak of the internal strife. Most of the holdings was removed and preserved at undisclosed sites to safeguard them.
It began limited operations in 2018 and completely reopened in the beginning of the year, one month after rebel forces removed President Bashar al-Assad.
Every one of nationally recognized sites were damaged or significantly impacted during the civil war.
The Islamic State group blew up multiple ancient buildings and additional edifices at the archaeological site, stating that they were idolatrous. The cultural organization denounced the destruction as a atrocity.
Many cultural items were also damaged or looted from archaeological sites and cultural institutions.
