🔗 Share this article Ancient Sculptures Removed from the National Museum in Damascus The National Museum resumed complete operations in the first month of 2025, a month after the deposition of President Bashar al-Assad. Ancient sculptures and cultural objects have been taken from Syria's National Museum in the capital, officials say. The robbery was noticed on the start of the week, when staff allegedly found that one of the museum's doors had been damaged from the inside. The multiple missing pieces were crafted from marble and originated to the Roman era, one official informed the media outlet. The nation's antiquities authority said it had opened an investigation to determine the "events surrounding the disappearance of a group of artifacts", and that measures had been enacted to improve protection and observation methods. The director of domestic security in Damascus province, General Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the government press as saying that authorities were probing the theft, which he said had affected several "ancient sculptures and rare collectibles". He added that guards at the institution and other individuals were being questioned. The National Museum, which was established in 1919, holds the primary archaeological collection in the country. It contains historical records dating back to the Bronze Age from an ancient city, where indications of the most ancient writing system was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD ancient art from the ancient city, among the foremost ancient sites of the ancient world; and a ancient Jewish temple that was established at an ancient location. The institution was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, a year after the beginning of the internal strife. The majority of the artifacts was removed and kept at secure places to safeguard them. It reopened partially in recent years and returned to normal in the beginning of the year, a month after rebel forces overthrew Syria's former leader. Each of the six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were harmed or partially destroyed during the civil war. The Islamic State group blew up multiple temples and historical sites at Palmyra, claiming that they were idolatrous. The cultural organization condemned the demolition as a war crime. Numerous cultural items were also damaged or stolen from archaeological sites and collections.