Historic Sculptures Removed from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic statues and additional items have been stolen from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, sources confirm.
The burglary was found on Monday, when staff allegedly found that a doorway had been damaged from the interior.
The multiple missing pieces were marble creations and originated to the Roman era, a source told the media outlet.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had initiated an inquiry to establish the "events surrounding the loss of a collection of items", and that measures had been taken to improve security and surveillance.
The chief of domestic security in the Damascus region, Security Chief Atkeh, was quoted by the government press as saying that law enforcement were probing the theft, which he said had affected several "archaeological statues and unique items".
He added that guards at the institution and additional people were being interviewed.
The Damascus Museum, which was founded in 1919, houses the most important archaeological collection in Syria.
It contains historical records originating to the 14th Century BC from Ugarit, where proof of the oldest known linguistic system was found; Greco-Roman period Greco-Roman sculptures from Palmyra, among the foremost historical locations of the ancient world; and a third century synagogue that was established at another archaeological site.
The facility was had to cease operations in 2012, one year after the start of the destructive conflict. A large portion of the holdings was removed and stored at undisclosed sites to ensure their safety.
It partially resumed in 2018 and resumed full operations in the beginning of the year, a month after insurgents removed the Assad regime.
All six of the country's cultural landmarks were affected or partly ruined during the civil war.
The Islamic State group demolished multiple ancient buildings and additional edifices at Palmyra, stating that they were against their beliefs. International authorities denounced the damage as a atrocity.
Numerous artefacts were also lost or looted from archaeological sites and collections.
