Historic Sculptures Stolen from Syria's National Museum in Damascus

Valuable statues and other artefacts have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, authorities report.

The burglary was found on Monday, when museum workers reportedly found that an entrance had been forced from the interior.

The six stolen statues were made of marble and originated to the Roman era, an authority stated to the Associated Press.

The nation's antiquities authority said it had initiated an inquiry to determine the "circumstances surrounding the loss of a group of exhibits", and that measures had been implemented to strengthen security and monitoring systems.

The chief of domestic security in the Damascus region, Security Chief Atkeh, was cited by the state-run Sana news agency as saying that authorities were examining the theft, which he said had targeted several "archaeological statues 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, contains the most important historical artifacts in Syria.

It includes clay cuneiform tablets tracing back to the 14th Century BC from historical site, where evidence of the earliest writing system was uncovered; Greco-Roman period ancient art from the ancient city, one of the most important ancient sites of the classical era; and a ancient religious building that was constructed at Dura Europos.

The institution was had to cease operations in 2012, twelve months after the start of the internal strife. Most of the collection was evacuated and kept at secure places to safeguard them.

It began limited operations in recent years and resumed full operations in January 2025, a month after insurgents removed Syria's former leader.

Each of the six of the country's cultural landmarks were harmed or partly ruined during the conflict.

The Islamic State group blew up numerous ancient buildings and additional edifices at Palmyra, stating that they were against their beliefs. Unesco denounced the destruction as a war crime.

Many artefacts were also destroyed or taken from dig sites and collections.