Valuable Statues Removed from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic artifacts and other artefacts have been stolen from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, officials say.
The burglary was found on the start of the week, when museum workers reportedly found that an entrance had been broken from the inside.
The multiple missing pieces were crafted from marble and dated back to the ancient Roman times, a source informed the media outlet.
Cultural heritage officials said it had launched a probe to determine the "details surrounding the loss of a collection of exhibits", and that measures had been enacted to strengthen protection and observation methods.
The head of internal security in the capital area, General Osama Atkeh, was cited by the official media as saying that security forces were investigating the theft, which he said had focused on several "historical artifacts and unique items".
He continued that guards at the facility and additional people were being interviewed.
The National Museum, which was created in 1919, holds the most important cultural treasures in Syria.
It includes historical records tracing back to the 14th Century BC from Ugarit, where proof of the oldest known complete alphabet was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD ancient art from historical site, among the foremost historical locations of the historical period; and a 3rd Century AD religious building that was built at another archaeological site.
The institution was compelled to shut in 2012, twelve months after the beginning of the internal strife. Most of the artifacts was evacuated and stored at secure places to safeguard them.
It began limited operations in 2018 and completely reopened in early this year, four weeks after insurgents overthrew the Assad regime.
All six of the country's cultural landmarks were damaged or significantly impacted during the conflict.
The militant faction blew up several religious structures and other structures at the ancient city, asserting that they were idolatrous. Unesco condemned the destruction as a violation.
Many artefacts were also lost or looted from dig sites and collections.
