🔗 Share this article Valuable Artifacts Taken from Syria's National Museum in Damascus The National Museum reopened fully in the first month of 2025, one month after the removal of Syria's former leader. Historic sculptures and other artefacts have been stolen from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, authorities report. The burglary was discovered on the start of the week, when staff reportedly found that a doorway had been broken from the inside. The half-dozen stolen statues were crafted from marble and traced back to the Roman era, one official told the media outlet. The nation's antiquities authority said it had initiated an inquiry to establish the "details surrounding the loss of a number of artifacts", and that steps had been implemented to improve security and monitoring systems. The chief of internal security in Damascus province, Security Chief Atkeh, was cited by the government press as declaring that law enforcement were investigating the robbery, which he said had affected several "archaeological statues and valuable objects". He continued that guards at the facility and other individuals were being questioned. The Damascus Museum, which was created in 1919, contains the primary cultural treasures in Syria. It includes historical records tracing back to the ancient era from an ancient city, where proof of the oldest known writing system was uncovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD classical statues from the ancient city, a significant cultural centres of the historical period; and a ancient Jewish temple that was built at another archaeological site. The institution was forced to close in the early 2010s, twelve months after the beginning of the internal strife. The majority of the collection was evacuated and kept at secure places to ensure their safety. It partially resumed in 2018 and completely reopened in January 2025, a month after insurgents deposed the Assad regime. Every one of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were damaged or partially destroyed during the conflict. The Islamic State group demolished multiple ancient buildings and historical sites at the ancient city, claiming that they were idolatrous. International authorities censured the damage as a atrocity. Numerous cultural items were also lost or taken from dig sites and museums.