Ancient Sculptures Removed from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Ancient artifacts and additional items have been stolen from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, officials say.
The burglary was found on the start of the week, when employees reportedly found that a doorway had been broken from the inside.
The half-dozen stolen statues were made of marble and dated back to the ancient Roman times, one official told the media outlet.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had initiated an inquiry to establish the "details surrounding the disappearance of a collection of items", and that actions had been implemented to strengthen safeguarding and monitoring systems.
The chief of internal security in the Damascus region, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was cited by the state-run Sana news agency as stating that law enforcement were examining the theft, which he said had affected several "historical artifacts and rare collectibles".
He noted that guards at the museum and other persons were being questioned.
The cultural institution, which was founded in the early twentieth century, holds the primary archaeological collection in the country.
It includes ancient inscribed tablets originating to the Bronze Age from an ancient city, where indications of the earliest writing system was found; early centuries CE ancient art from Palmyra, a significant cultural centres of the historical period; and a ancient Jewish temple that was established at another archaeological site.
The facility was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, a year after the beginning of the devastating civil war. A large portion of the holdings was transferred and stored at secret locations to ensure their safety.
It began limited operations in 2018 and completely reopened in early this year, a month after insurgents deposed Syria's former leader.
All six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were damaged or partially destroyed during the internal struggle.
The Islamic State group demolished several religious structures and additional edifices at Palmyra, stating that they were against their beliefs. Unesco condemned the destruction as a atrocity.
Countless artefacts were also lost or taken from dig sites and collections.
