🔗 Share this article Ancient Sculptures Removed from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus The National Museum reopened fully in the first month of 2025, four weeks after the removal of the Assad government. Ancient artifacts and cultural objects have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, sources confirm. The robbery was discovered on the start of the week, when museum workers allegedly found that a doorway had been damaged from the interior. The multiple taken statues were made of marble and dated back to the Roman period, a source told the Associated Press. The nation's antiquities authority said it had initiated an inquiry to establish the "circumstances surrounding the loss of a collection of artifacts", and that steps had been taken to strengthen safeguarding and surveillance. The head of national security in the capital area, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was cited by the state-run Sana news agency as saying that authorities were probing the robbery, which he said had targeted several "archaeological statues and valuable objects". He added that museum protectors at the museum and other persons were being interviewed. The Damascus Museum, which was established in 1919, houses the significant historical artifacts in the country. It contains clay cuneiform tablets tracing back to the Bronze Age from Ugarit, where proof of the earliest linguistic system was discovered; early centuries CE ancient art from the ancient city, among the foremost ancient sites of the classical era; and a ancient synagogue that was established at Dura Europos. The museum was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, twelve months after the beginning of the devastating civil war. Most of the collection was evacuated and kept at secure places to ensure their safety. It partially resumed in 2018 and completely reopened in the beginning of the year, four weeks after rebel forces deposed President Bashar al-Assad. Each of the six of nationally recognized sites were damaged or significantly impacted during the conflict. The Islamic State group destroyed multiple religious structures and additional edifices at the archaeological site, stating that they were idolatrous. International authorities denounced the damage as a violation. Countless artefacts were also lost or looted from historical locations and cultural institutions.