🔗 Share this article Valuable Sculptures Taken from Syria's National Museum in Damascus The National Museum reopened fully in January of 2025, four weeks after the removal of Syria's former leader. Ancient statues and additional items have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, officials say. The robbery was noticed on the start of the week, when employees reportedly found that a doorway had been damaged from the interior. The multiple missing pieces were marble creations and traced back to the ancient Roman times, one official stated to the news agency. Cultural heritage officials said it had launched a probe to identify the "circumstances surrounding the theft of a group of exhibits", and that measures had been implemented to strengthen protection and surveillance. The head of domestic security in the capital area, General Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the state-run Sana news agency as saying that security forces were probing the theft, which he said had affected several "historical artifacts and rare collectibles". He continued that museum protectors at the museum and other individuals were being questioned. The Damascus Museum, which was created in 1919, contains the most important cultural treasures in the country. It features clay cuneiform tablets tracing back to the ancient era from an ancient city, where evidence of the oldest known linguistic system was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD classical statues from the ancient city, among the foremost historical locations of the historical period; and a ancient synagogue that was established at an ancient location. The institution was forced to close in the early 2010s, a year after the outbreak of the destructive conflict. The majority of the collection was removed and preserved at undisclosed sites to protect them. It reopened partially in recent years and resumed full operations in January 2025, one month after rebel forces removed President Bashar al-Assad. Every one of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were damaged or significantly impacted during the conflict. The IS organization demolished numerous ancient buildings and historical sites at the ancient city, stating that they were idolatrous. The cultural organization denounced the demolition as a atrocity. Countless historical objects were also destroyed or looted from dig sites and museums.