🔗 Share this article Historic Artifacts Stolen from the National Museum Located in Damascus The Damascus Museum reopened fully in the first month of 2025, one month after the deposition of President Bashar al-Assad. Ancient statues and cultural objects have been removed from Syria's National Museum in the capital, authorities report. The robbery was discovered on Monday, when museum workers apparently found that an entrance had been forced from the interior. The six stolen statues were made of marble and originated to the ancient Roman times, one official informed the Associated Press. The nation's antiquities authority said it had opened an investigation to determine the "events surrounding the loss of a collection of artifacts", and that measures had been enacted to improve safeguarding and surveillance. The head of domestic security in the Damascus region, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the government press as saying that law enforcement were examining the robbery, which he said had affected several "ancient sculptures and unique items". He noted that museum protectors at the institution and additional people were being interviewed. The Damascus Museum, which was created in the early twentieth century, houses the primary historical artifacts in the country. It includes clay cuneiform tablets originating to the Bronze Age from an ancient city, where indications of the oldest known writing system was found; early centuries CE classical statues from the ancient city, a significant cultural centres of the classical era; and a third century religious building that was built at an ancient location. The museum was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, one year after the start of the destructive conflict. The majority of the collection was removed and preserved at undisclosed sites to protect them. It reopened partially in 2018 and resumed full operations in January 2025, four weeks after opposition groups removed Syria's former leader. Each of the six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were affected or partly ruined during the internal struggle. The IS organization destroyed multiple temples and historical sites at Palmyra, claiming that they were against their beliefs. The cultural organization condemned the destruction as a atrocity. Countless artefacts were also lost or looted from historical locations and cultural institutions.