Historic Statues Removed from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Ancient artifacts and cultural objects have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, authorities report.
The robbery was noticed on the start of the week, when staff apparently found that a doorway had been forced from the inside.
The multiple taken sculptures were made of marble and dated back to the ancient Roman times, an authority stated to the media outlet.
Cultural heritage officials said it had initiated an inquiry to determine the "circumstances surrounding the loss of a group of artifacts", and that steps had been enacted to strengthen security and monitoring systems.
The head of internal security in the capital area, General Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the official media as saying that authorities were examining the robbery, which he said had targeted several "ancient sculptures and rare collectibles".
He continued that security personnel at the facility and other persons were being interviewed.
The National Museum, which was established in the early twentieth century, holds the primary archaeological collection in Syria.
It features clay cuneiform tablets originating to the 14th Century BC from an ancient city, where evidence of the most ancient writing system was found; early centuries CE Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, one of the most important cultural centres of the classical era; and a third century synagogue that was built at Dura Europos.
The museum was compelled to shut in 2012, twelve months after the outbreak of the destructive conflict. The majority of the holdings was removed and kept at undisclosed sites to protect them.
It partially resumed in recent years and resumed full operations in early this year, a month after insurgents removed Syria's former leader.
All six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were harmed or partially destroyed during the conflict.
The militant faction demolished several temples and other structures at Palmyra, stating that they were idolatrous. The cultural organization condemned the destruction as a atrocity.
Numerous cultural items were also destroyed or taken from archaeological sites and museums.
