Valuable Statues Taken from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Ancient artifacts and additional items have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, authorities report.
The theft was found on Monday, when staff apparently found that one of the museum's doors had been broken from the interior.
The half-dozen taken sculptures were crafted from marble and originated to the ancient Roman times, a source told the news agency.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had launched a probe to identify the "events surrounding the loss of a number of exhibits", and that actions had been enacted to strengthen security and observation methods.
The chief of internal security in the Damascus region, General Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the government press as declaring that security forces were examining the robbery, which he said had affected several "historical artifacts and rare collectibles".
He added that guards at the facility and additional people were being questioned.
The cultural institution, which was founded in 1919, contains the primary cultural treasures in the country.
It features ancient inscribed tablets originating to the Bronze Age from historical site, where proof of the earliest complete alphabet was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD ancient art from the ancient city, among the foremost ancient sites of the classical era; and a ancient synagogue that was built at another archaeological site.
The institution was forced to close in 2012, one year after the beginning of the internal strife. A large portion of the collection was transferred and stored at undisclosed sites to ensure their safety.
It began limited operations in 2018 and completely reopened in the beginning of the year, a month after opposition groups overthrew Syria's former leader.
Every one of the country's cultural landmarks were damaged or partly ruined during the civil war.
The IS organization destroyed multiple religious structures and historical sites at the archaeological site, stating that they were against their beliefs. The cultural organization censured the damage as a war crime.
Many cultural items were also damaged or stolen from archaeological sites and museums.
