Ancient Artifacts Stolen from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Valuable artifacts and additional items have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in the capital, sources confirm.
The theft was found on the start of the week, when museum workers reportedly found that an entrance had been damaged from the inside.
The half-dozen stolen statues were crafted from marble and originated to the Roman era, one official informed the news agency.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had initiated an inquiry to identify the "circumstances surrounding the theft of a number of items", and that steps had been implemented to improve security and surveillance.
The director of national security in Damascus province, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was cited by the government press as declaring that authorities were probing the theft, which he said had affected several "archaeological statues and rare collectibles".
He noted that security personnel at the facility and additional people were being interviewed.
The cultural institution, which was established in the early twentieth century, holds the significant cultural treasures in the country.
It contains ancient inscribed tablets originating to the Bronze Age from historical site, where indications of the most ancient linguistic system was uncovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD ancient art from Palmyra, among the foremost historical locations of the classical era; and a ancient religious building that was built at an ancient location.
The facility was forced to close in 2012, twelve months after the beginning of the devastating civil war. Most of the collection was removed and stored at secure places to safeguard them.
It partially resumed in 2018 and completely reopened in the beginning of the year, a month after opposition groups deposed President Bashar al-Assad.
Every one of nationally recognized sites were affected or partially destroyed during the civil war.
The Islamic State group destroyed numerous ancient buildings and additional edifices at Palmyra, asserting that they were idolatrous. The cultural organization condemned the damage as a atrocity.
Countless cultural items were also damaged or stolen from dig sites and collections.
