🔗 Share this article Ancient Artifacts Taken from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus The Damascus Museum resumed complete operations in the first month of 2025, one month after the removal of the Assad government. Ancient statues and additional items have been stolen from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, sources confirm. The robbery was found on Monday, when staff allegedly found that one of the museum's doors had been broken from the interior. The half-dozen missing pieces were crafted from marble and dated back to the Roman period, a source stated to the news agency. Cultural heritage officials said it had opened an investigation to determine the "events surrounding the loss of a group of artifacts", and that actions had been enacted to improve protection and surveillance. The chief of internal security in the capital area, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the state-run Sana news agency as stating that security forces were probing the incident, which he said had focused on several "historical artifacts and rare collectibles". He noted that museum protectors at the facility and other individuals were being interviewed. The National Museum, which was founded in the early twentieth century, houses the significant archaeological collection in the country. It includes historical records dating back to the 14th Century BC from Ugarit, where evidence of the oldest known writing system was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD classical statues from historical site, one of the most important historical locations of the classical era; and a ancient synagogue that was constructed at an ancient location. The institution was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, a year after the outbreak of the destructive conflict. A large portion of the artifacts was removed and kept at secret locations to safeguard them. It reopened partially in 2018 and returned to normal in January 2025, one month after opposition groups deposed the Assad regime. Every one of the country's cultural landmarks were affected or partially destroyed during the internal struggle. The IS organization demolished several temples and additional edifices at the archaeological site, claiming that they were un-Islamic. Unesco censured the destruction as a atrocity. Countless artefacts were also damaged or taken from archaeological sites and collections.