Ancient Sculptures Stolen from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Valuable artifacts and other artefacts have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, sources confirm.
The robbery was discovered on the start of the week, when museum workers reportedly found that one of the museum's doors had been damaged from the interior.
The multiple taken sculptures were marble creations and originated to the Roman era, an authority informed the media outlet.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had launched a probe to establish the "events surrounding the disappearance of a number of exhibits", and that measures had been implemented to enhance security and monitoring systems.
The head of national security in the Damascus region, General Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the state-run Sana news agency as saying that authorities were probing the robbery, which he said had targeted several "ancient sculptures and unique items".
He continued that museum protectors at the institution and additional people were being interviewed.
The Damascus Museum, which was founded in the early twentieth century, houses the primary cultural treasures in the country.
It features historical records tracing back to the 14th Century BC from Ugarit, where evidence of the oldest known linguistic system was discovered; Greco-Roman period classical statues from Palmyra, among the foremost cultural centres of the classical era; and a third century religious building that was built at another archaeological site.
The facility was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, twelve months after the outbreak of the devastating civil war. A large portion of the collection was transferred and kept at undisclosed sites to protect them.
It partially resumed in recent years and resumed full operations in early this year, four weeks after opposition groups overthrew Syria's former leader.
All six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were affected or partially destroyed during the civil war.
The Islamic State group demolished multiple temples and other structures at the ancient city, asserting that they were idolatrous. The cultural organization condemned the demolition as a war crime.
Numerous historical objects were also lost or looted from dig sites and cultural institutions.
