Ancient Sculptures Taken from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus

Historic statues and other artefacts have been stolen from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, authorities report.

The robbery was found on Monday, when museum workers reportedly found that a doorway had been damaged from the inside.

The multiple missing pieces were marble creations and dated back to the Roman era, one official told the media outlet.

Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had opened an investigation to establish the "circumstances surrounding the disappearance of a number of exhibits", and that actions had been enacted to improve protection and surveillance.

The head of national security in the capital area, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the government press as declaring that law enforcement were probing the robbery, which he said had affected several "archaeological statues and rare collectibles".

He noted that guards at the museum and additional people were being questioned.

The cultural institution, which was established in 1919, houses the most important archaeological collection in the country.

It features clay cuneiform tablets originating to the Bronze Age from Ugarit, where indications of the earliest complete alphabet was discovered; early centuries CE classical statues from Palmyra, among the foremost cultural centres of the ancient world; and a ancient Jewish temple that was built at Dura Europos.

The facility was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, one year after the beginning of the destructive conflict. Most of the artifacts was transferred and preserved at secure places to safeguard them.

It began limited operations in recent years and returned to normal in January 2025, a month after opposition groups removed President Bashar al-Assad.

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

The IS organization blew up numerous ancient buildings and historical sites at Palmyra, asserting that they were un-Islamic. The cultural organization censured the destruction as a war crime.

Countless artefacts were also damaged or looted from dig sites and collections.