Valuable Sculptures Taken from the National Museum in Damascus
Valuable statues and other artefacts have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, authorities report.
The robbery was discovered on the start of the week, when employees reportedly found that one of the museum's doors had been damaged from the inside.
The multiple missing statues were marble creations and originated to the Roman era, an authority told the media outlet.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had initiated an inquiry to identify the "details surrounding the disappearance of a number of items", and that measures had been implemented to strengthen protection and monitoring systems.
The director of domestic security in the Damascus region, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the government press as stating that law enforcement were examining the robbery, which he said had focused on several "historical artifacts and valuable objects".
He continued that security personnel at the facility and other persons were being questioned.
The National Museum, which was established in 1919, houses the significant archaeological collection in Syria.
It contains historical records originating to the ancient era from historical site, where indications of the earliest complete alphabet was uncovered; early centuries CE Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, one of the most important cultural centres of the classical era; and a 3rd Century AD synagogue that was constructed at another archaeological site.
The museum was had to cease operations in 2012, twelve months after the start of the internal strife. A large portion of the holdings was transferred and kept at undisclosed sites to protect them.
It began limited operations in 2018 and resumed full operations in the beginning of the year, four weeks after opposition groups deposed President Bashar al-Assad.
All six of nationally recognized sites were harmed or partially destroyed during the conflict.
The IS organization demolished multiple religious structures and additional edifices at the archaeological site, asserting that they were idolatrous. International authorities censured the destruction as a war crime.
Many artefacts were also damaged or stolen from historical locations and cultural institutions.
