🔗 Share this article Valuable Sculptures Removed from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus The National Museum reopened fully in the first month of 2025, a month after the removal of Syria's former leader. Historic statues and other artefacts have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, authorities report. The theft was found on Monday, when employees reportedly found that an entrance had been forced from the interior. The half-dozen missing statues were made of marble and originated to the ancient Roman times, one official informed the Associated Press. Cultural heritage officials said it had initiated an inquiry to identify the "events surrounding the loss of a number of exhibits", and that measures had been enacted to improve security and monitoring systems. The director of internal security in the Damascus region, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the official media as declaring that security forces were examining the incident, which he said had targeted several "ancient sculptures and rare collectibles". He noted that museum protectors at the institution and other individuals were being questioned. The Damascus Museum, which was established in the early twentieth century, contains the primary archaeological collection in the country. It includes clay cuneiform tablets tracing back to the Bronze Age from an ancient city, where indications of the earliest linguistic system was uncovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD ancient art from historical site, one of the most important cultural centres of the historical period; and a third century synagogue that was built at an ancient location. The institution was forced to close in the early 2010s, a year after the outbreak of the destructive conflict. Most of the collection was removed and stored at undisclosed sites to protect them. It partially resumed in 2018 and resumed full operations in January 2025, one month after rebel forces removed the Assad regime. Each of the six of nationally recognized sites were affected or significantly impacted during the civil war. The militant faction destroyed several temples and historical sites at the ancient city, claiming that they were un-Islamic. International authorities denounced the demolition as a war crime. Many historical objects were also lost or looted from archaeological sites and collections.