Historic Sculptures Removed from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Ancient statues and additional items have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, authorities report.
The theft was noticed on the start of the week, when museum workers reportedly found that one of the museum's doors had been broken from the inside.
The half-dozen taken sculptures were crafted from marble and traced back to the ancient Roman times, an authority informed the Associated Press.
Cultural heritage officials said it had opened an investigation to establish the "events surrounding the loss of a number of artifacts", and that actions had been enacted to enhance protection and observation methods.
The chief of domestic security in Damascus province, Security Chief Atkeh, was quoted by the government press as stating that authorities were investigating the theft, which he said had targeted several "ancient sculptures and unique items".
He continued that guards at the museum and other individuals were being questioned.
The Damascus Museum, which was founded in the early twentieth century, holds the significant archaeological collection in Syria.
It features clay cuneiform tablets dating back to the 14th Century BC from Ugarit, where evidence of the most ancient writing system was uncovered; early centuries CE ancient art from Palmyra, a significant historical locations of the classical era; and a ancient synagogue that was established at Dura Europos.
The museum was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, one year after the outbreak of the internal strife. Most of the collection was evacuated and kept at secure places to protect them.
It began limited operations in 2018 and resumed full operations in the beginning of the year, one month after insurgents overthrew the Assad regime.
All six of the country's cultural landmarks were damaged or partly ruined during the civil war.
The IS organization demolished numerous religious structures and other structures at the archaeological site, asserting that they were un-Islamic. The cultural organization censured the damage as a atrocity.
Many cultural items were also lost or stolen from archaeological sites and museums.
