Ancient Artifacts Removed from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic artifacts and other artefacts have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, authorities report.
The theft was found on Monday, when employees apparently found that an entrance had been damaged from the interior.
The half-dozen taken sculptures were made of marble and dated back to the ancient Roman times, an authority informed the Associated Press.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had launched a probe to establish the "details surrounding the loss of a group of exhibits", and that steps had been implemented to improve protection and monitoring systems.
The director of domestic security in Damascus province, General Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the state-run Sana news agency as declaring that security forces were examining the incident, which he said had focused on several "archaeological statues and rare collectibles".
He added that museum protectors at the facility and other individuals were being interrogated.
The National Museum, which was created in the early twentieth century, holds the primary archaeological collection in the country.
It includes ancient inscribed tablets originating to the 14th Century BC from Ugarit, where proof of the most ancient complete alphabet was uncovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, a significant historical locations of the classical era; and a third century Jewish temple that was built at another archaeological site.
The facility was compelled to shut in 2012, one year after the start of the internal strife. A large portion of the collection was transferred and stored at secret locations to protect them.
It reopened partially in 2018 and resumed full operations in early this year, a month after insurgents overthrew President Bashar al-Assad.
Each of the six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were harmed or significantly impacted during the conflict.
The militant faction blew up multiple temples and additional edifices at the ancient city, asserting that they were idolatrous. The cultural organization condemned the demolition as a atrocity.
Countless historical objects were also damaged or looted from historical locations and collections.