Historic Artifacts Stolen from the National Museum in Damascus
Valuable artifacts and other artefacts have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, officials say.
The burglary was discovered on Monday, when museum workers apparently found that a doorway had been damaged from the interior.
The multiple missing pieces were made of marble and dated back to the Roman era, a source stated to the news agency.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had launched a probe to establish the "circumstances surrounding the loss of a group of exhibits", and that measures had been enacted to strengthen protection and observation methods.
The director of internal security in Damascus province, Security Chief Atkeh, was quoted by the state-run Sana news agency as saying that security forces were investigating the theft, which he said had affected several "ancient sculptures and rare collectibles".
He noted that security personnel at the facility and other individuals were being questioned.
The Damascus Museum, which was created in the early twentieth century, houses the most important cultural treasures in the country.
It contains historical records dating back to the Bronze Age from Ugarit, where evidence of the oldest known writing system was found; early centuries CE ancient art from the ancient city, one of the most important historical locations of the classical era; and a ancient religious building that was established at Dura Europos.
The museum was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, a year after the outbreak of the destructive conflict. The majority of the holdings was removed and kept at undisclosed sites to ensure their safety.
It partially resumed in 2018 and completely reopened in the beginning of the year, a month after insurgents removed President Bashar al-Assad.
Each of the six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were harmed or partially destroyed during the civil war.
The IS organization blew up numerous religious structures and additional edifices at the archaeological site, stating that they were against their beliefs. Unesco condemned the destruction as a atrocity.
Numerous artefacts were also lost or stolen from historical locations and museums.
