Valuable Sculptures Removed from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic artifacts and additional items have been taken from Syria's National Museum in the capital, sources confirm.
The theft was found on the start of the week, when staff allegedly found that a doorway had been damaged from the interior.
The half-dozen taken sculptures were marble creations and dated back to the Roman period, one official stated to the media outlet.
Cultural heritage officials said it had initiated an inquiry to identify the "circumstances surrounding the theft of a collection of exhibits", and that steps had been enacted to enhance safeguarding and observation methods.
The director of national security in the Damascus region, Security Chief Atkeh, was quoted by the state-run Sana news agency as declaring that security forces were examining the incident, which he said had affected several "historical artifacts and unique items".
He noted that security personnel at the institution and other individuals were being interrogated.
The Damascus Museum, which was founded in the early twentieth century, houses the significant cultural treasures in Syria.
It includes ancient inscribed tablets tracing back to the Bronze Age from historical site, where evidence of the earliest complete alphabet was uncovered; Greco-Roman period classical statues from the ancient city, a significant cultural centres of the ancient world; and a ancient religious building that was established at an ancient location.
The institution was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, one year after the outbreak of the destructive conflict. A large portion of the holdings was transferred and kept at undisclosed sites to ensure their safety.
It partially resumed in 2018 and completely reopened in early this year, one month after opposition groups removed the Assad regime.
Each of the six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were harmed or partially destroyed during the civil war.
The militant faction demolished several religious structures and historical sites at the archaeological site, asserting that they were against their beliefs. Unesco denounced the demolition as a war crime.
Numerous cultural items were also destroyed or taken from dig sites and collections.
