🔗 Share this article Ancient Statues Removed from Syria's National Museum in Damascus The Damascus Museum resumed complete operations in January of 2025, one month after the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad. Historic statues and additional items have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, sources confirm. The theft was discovered on Monday, when staff apparently found that a doorway had been broken from the interior. The multiple taken pieces were marble creations and traced back to the ancient Roman times, one official informed the Associated Press. The nation's antiquities authority said it had launched a probe to identify the "circumstances surrounding the loss of a group of artifacts", and that measures had been implemented to strengthen protection and surveillance. The chief of national security in the Damascus region, Security Chief Atkeh, was referenced by the state-run Sana news agency as saying that security forces were probing the incident, which he said had targeted several "ancient sculptures and unique items". He added that museum protectors at the facility and additional people were being interviewed. The Damascus Museum, which was created in 1919, contains the significant archaeological collection in Syria. It features historical records tracing back to the Bronze Age from historical site, where indications of the most ancient linguistic system was discovered; early centuries CE Greco-Roman sculptures from Palmyra, one of the most important cultural centres of the ancient world; and a third century synagogue that was established at another archaeological site. The facility was compelled to shut in 2012, one year after the start of the destructive conflict. Most of the artifacts was evacuated and stored at secure places to ensure their safety. It partially resumed in recent years and completely reopened in January 2025, a month after opposition groups overthrew the Assad regime. All six of nationally recognized sites were harmed or significantly impacted during the conflict. The militant faction destroyed multiple religious structures and additional edifices at the archaeological site, stating that they were against their beliefs. Unesco denounced the destruction as a atrocity. Numerous cultural items were also lost or stolen from historical locations and collections.