Ancient Sculptures Stolen from the National Museum in Damascus

Ancient artifacts and other artefacts have been taken from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, authorities report.

The theft was discovered on Monday, when staff apparently found that an entrance had been forced from the inside.

The six stolen sculptures were marble creations and dated back to the ancient Roman times, a source told the news agency.

Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had initiated an inquiry to establish the "details surrounding the theft of a collection of artifacts", and that steps had been enacted to enhance safeguarding and monitoring systems.

The director of national security in Damascus province, General Osama Atkeh, was cited by the government press as stating that security forces were probing the theft, which he said had affected several "ancient sculptures and rare collectibles".

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

The cultural institution, which was established in the early twentieth century, houses the primary cultural treasures in Syria.

It includes ancient inscribed tablets dating back to the Bronze Age from an ancient city, where evidence of the earliest writing system was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD classical statues from the ancient city, among the foremost ancient sites of the ancient world; and a third century religious building that was built at another archaeological site.

The institution was forced to close in 2012, one year after the outbreak of the internal strife. A large portion of the collection was evacuated and kept at undisclosed sites to ensure their safety.

It began limited operations in recent years and completely reopened in January 2025, four weeks after opposition groups overthrew President Bashar al-Assad.

Every one of the country's cultural landmarks were damaged or partly ruined during the conflict.

The IS organization demolished multiple religious structures and additional edifices at the archaeological site, asserting that they were un-Islamic. The cultural organization denounced the demolition as a war crime.

Many historical objects were also lost or taken from archaeological sites and museums.