Officials have confirmed that ancient statues and artefacts have been stolen from Syria’s National Museum in Damascus. The theft was discovered on Monday, when museum staff found that one of the doors had been broken from the inside. Six marble statues, dating back to the Roman era, are reported missing.
In response to the incident, Syria’s Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums announced that it has initiated an investigation to understand the circumstances surrounding the theft. The organization has also implemented measures to enhance security and monitoring systems at the museum. Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, head of internal security in Damascus province, indicated that the security forces are probing the case, focusing on various archaeological statues and rare collectibles. He noted that both museum guards and other individuals are currently being questioned.
Established in 1919, the National Museum is known for housing the most significant archaeological collection in Syria. Its vast collection includes clay cuneiform tablets from Ugarit, which date back to the 14th Century BC and contributed to the understanding of the oldest known complete alphabet. It also features Greco-Roman sculptures from Palmyra and a 3rd Century AD synagogue from Dura Europos.
The museum was forced to close in 2012 due to the ongoing civil war, causing most of its collection to be evacuated to secure locations. It partially reopened in 2018 and resumed full operations in January 2025, following the change in government power dynamics.
The ongoing conflict has severely impacted Syria’s cultural heritage, with all six UNESCO World Heritage sites suffering damage or destruction during the war, including significant losses at Palmyra, which faced deliberate destruction by the Islamic State group. Numerous artifacts have been either destroyed or looted during this tumultuous period.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce3k7dnp8y5o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss