Ancient Artifacts Taken from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic statues and additional items have been taken from Syria's National Museum in the capital, officials say.
The robbery was noticed on Monday, when museum workers reportedly found that an entrance had been damaged from the interior.
The multiple missing sculptures were made of marble and dated back to the Roman period, a source informed the media outlet.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had initiated an inquiry to determine the "details surrounding the disappearance of a group of artifacts", and that measures had been enacted to enhance safeguarding and monitoring systems.
The chief of national security in the Damascus region, Security Chief Atkeh, was referenced by the state-run Sana news agency as declaring that authorities were examining the theft, which he said had affected several "ancient sculptures and valuable objects".
He noted that museum protectors at the facility and other persons were being questioned.
The cultural institution, which was established in the early twentieth century, contains the significant historical artifacts in Syria.
It features ancient inscribed tablets dating back to the 14th Century BC from an ancient city, where evidence of the most ancient linguistic system was uncovered; early centuries CE Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, among the foremost ancient sites of the classical era; and a 3rd Century AD religious building that was established at another archaeological site.
The institution was forced to close in 2012, twelve months after the outbreak of the devastating civil war. The majority of the artifacts was removed and stored at secure places to protect them.
It began limited operations in 2018 and completely reopened in early this year, one month after opposition groups deposed President Bashar al-Assad.
Every one of the country's cultural landmarks were harmed or partly ruined during the civil war.
The Islamic State group destroyed multiple temples and historical sites at the archaeological site, asserting that they were against their beliefs. The cultural organization condemned the destruction as a violation.
Many artefacts were also destroyed or taken from historical locations and cultural institutions.
