🔗 Share this article Valuable Artifacts Stolen from Syria's National Museum in Damascus The National Museum resumed complete operations in January of 2025, a month after the removal of President Bashar al-Assad. Historic artifacts and additional items have been removed from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, sources confirm. The robbery was discovered on the start of the week, when staff reportedly found that one of the museum's doors had been damaged from the inside. The multiple missing sculptures were marble creations and originated to the Roman period, one official informed the news agency. Cultural heritage officials said it had initiated an inquiry to establish the "circumstances surrounding the loss of a collection of items", and that measures had been taken to improve protection and surveillance. The head of internal security in the Damascus region, General Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the state-run Sana news agency as saying that security forces were investigating the incident, which he said had focused on several "archaeological statues and valuable objects". He continued that guards at the institution and other individuals were being questioned. The Damascus Museum, which was created in 1919, contains the primary cultural treasures in Syria. It includes clay cuneiform tablets tracing back to the ancient era from Ugarit, where indications of the most ancient linguistic system was discovered; Greco-Roman period classical statues from the ancient city, one of the most important cultural centres of the ancient world; and a 3rd Century AD Jewish temple that was constructed at another archaeological site. The museum was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, twelve months after the outbreak of the destructive conflict. A large portion of the holdings was transferred and stored at secret locations to ensure their safety. It reopened partially in recent years and resumed full operations in January 2025, one month after opposition groups deposed the Assad regime. Each of the six of the country's cultural landmarks were harmed or significantly impacted during the civil war. The Islamic State group demolished numerous ancient buildings and additional edifices at Palmyra, claiming that they were idolatrous. The cultural organization condemned the destruction as a war crime. Many cultural items were also destroyed or stolen from historical locations and museums.