Valuable Sculptures Taken from the National Museum in Damascus
Historic artifacts and cultural objects have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in the capital, sources confirm.
The robbery was found on the start of the week, when employees reportedly found that a doorway had been forced from the inside.
The half-dozen taken statues were crafted from marble and dated back to the Roman era, one official stated to the news agency.
Cultural heritage officials said it had opened an investigation to determine the "circumstances surrounding the loss of a number of artifacts", and that actions had been implemented to enhance safeguarding and surveillance.
The director of national security in Damascus province, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the government press as stating that security forces were examining the incident, which he said had targeted several "archaeological statues and unique items".
He added that museum protectors at the museum and additional people were being questioned.
The National Museum, which was established in the early twentieth century, holds the primary cultural treasures in the country.
It contains ancient inscribed tablets dating back to the Bronze Age from historical site, where proof of the oldest known writing system was discovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD ancient art from Palmyra, among the foremost cultural centres of the ancient world; and a 3rd Century AD Jewish temple that was established at Dura Europos.
The facility was compelled to shut in 2012, a year after the outbreak of the destructive conflict. Most of the collection was removed and stored at secure places to protect them.
It reopened partially in 2018 and returned to normal in the beginning of the year, a month after insurgents removed President Bashar al-Assad.
All six of nationally recognized sites were affected or partly ruined during the internal struggle.
The militant faction blew up several ancient buildings and additional edifices at the ancient city, stating that they were idolatrous. The cultural organization denounced the damage as a war crime.
Countless cultural items were also destroyed or taken from dig sites and cultural institutions.
